


Bond enaid sanctaidd

by Dahlia_Rose_83



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Forced Bonding, M/M, Sirius Black Lives, Sixth year AU, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-12-04 05:28:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11548449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83
Summary: As if sixth year wasn't already hard enough, someone decides it would be a good idea to bind Harry to Draco.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, another bond fic. I know there are already quite a few of those. Not sure if my idea is really new either. But it just popped into my head and I couldn't help but start writing.  
> Bond enaid sanctaidd is Welsh and means sacred soul bond. At least according to google translator. If anyone knows better, please feel free to tell me.

Sixth year was a very tough time for Harry. There was that whole Chosen One business for one thing. The Prophet was publishing almost daily articles about him, one more hilarious than the next and people were whispering and staring at him even more than usual. He didn't think he'd ever get used to that. This completely stupid hero worship, just because of something that had happened to him when he'd still been a baby. His mother was the real hero. If she hadn't sacrificed her life for his, he wouldn't be here now.  
   
Then there was the fact that Sirius had almost died in the fight at the Department of Mysteries. Only Remus quick reflexes had saved his life and Harry was all too aware of how close he'd come to losing his godfather. His only family. And he also knew that it would have been his fault, for being reckless and running into danger without thinking yet again. 

He'd been allowed to spend most of the summer at Grimmauld Place after that, which had been a relief. Not only because it meant getting away from the Dursleys, but also because of the nightmares, which were getting more and more frequent and revolved mostly around Sirius dying for a few weeks. Harry had been glad to find his godfather at his bedside when he woke up from those nightmares, very much alive and ready to offer comfort.   
   
Thankfully the nightmares had gotten fewer now, but Sirius had assured him that Harry could use the mirror to contact him whenever he wanted. Day and night. Even if he was only feeling down or wanted to chat. He would always be there and Harry couldn't express how grateful he was for that.   
   
Lessons got more demanding too and free periods were mostly used to study and catch up on homework. Being Quidditch Captain was also a lot more work than he'd anticipated, especially with Katie missing from the team. And then there were the private lessons with Dumbledore, which proved a challenge of their own. All this, topped off with the strange new tension between Ron and Hermione had him stressed out after only a few weeks of school.   
   
Strangely enough, watching Draco Malfoy turned out to be a good way to relax. He was still convinced that the blond was a Death Eater, even if no-one (save maybe Sirius) wanted to believe him. So he had decided to follow the blond Slytherin and spy on him to find out what he was up to. People would have to believe him once he'd found proof. Right?

He couldn't help but notice that Draco seemed stressed out too. There were dark circles under his eyes, he had lost weight and he looked even paler than usual. Whatever Voldemort had ordered him to do was clearly taking its toll on him. Harry almost felt bad for the other boy.   
   
Ron and Hermione of course wanted to hear none of that and got exasperated whenever he mentioned Draco. They just didn't get it. But as the weeks wore on, they were too busy with their own lives to admonish him much. Ron seemed permanently glued to Lavender's lips nowadays and Hermione threw herself into schoolwork even more than usual. Which left Harry with a lot of free time. He used it constructively, by following Draco around school underneath his invisibility cloak or watching his dot moving around on the Marauder's Map.   
   
So yes, it was a stressful time. Probably even more so than the last couple of years, which hadn't exactly been a picnic either. Still Harry thought he managed quite well. At least until fate decided to turn his life upside down once more. Because weird things always seemed to happen to him and trouble seemed to find him, no matter what he did.   
   
It all started at breakfast, a few days after the Christmas holidays, when a barn owl landed in front of him with a package. Since their mail was still undergoing a screening for cursed or dark objects, there was no need for caution. At least that's what he'd believed. So Harry opened the package without thinking. Peeling back the wrapping paper he discovered a small, leather bound book. Guessing that Remus must have sent it, he picked it up with a frown.   
   
As soon as his fingers touched the cover however, an electrical jolt ran through his whole body. He quickly snatched his hand away, but it was too late. His fingers felt like they had been burned and the pain was slowly radiating onward, finally pooling on the inside of his right wrist. It felt like his skin was on fire. Harry was distinctly aware that he was screaming and he thought he heard an answering yell from the other side of the Great Hall, but he couldn't be sure. Clutching his burning wrist he toppled off the bench and lost consciousness before his body even hit the floor.  
   
***  
   
When Harry came to, he found himself in the infirmary. He'd been here often enough to recognize it immediately, even without his glasses on. He sat up slowly and found his glasses on the bedside table. A bandage was covering his right wrist, which still felt hot and sore. A curtain hid him from the rest of the room and judging by the silence, someone had also placed a spell around his bed to make sure he wouldn't be disturbed. 

Therefore he was startled when Madam Pomfrey appeared at his bedside, accompanied by Professor McGonagall. The matron looked him over critically and waved her wand over him, muttering a few quiet spells, before nodding to the professor and leaving again.   
   
"Mr. Potter, how are you feeling?" McGonagall inquired.   
"Fine. Only my wrist feels weird."   
She nodded, looking grim. Harry felt his stomach drop. He knew that look and it never bode well.   
"What happened?" he wanted to know.   
   
"It seems someone sent you an enchanted object. I have no idea how it got past our security measures. But I guess it doesn't much matter right now. The damage is done. You triggered the spell when you touched the book."   
"What... what kind of spell?" he asked cautiously, bracing for the worst.   
"A bonding spell. We don't know which one exactly as of yet. Only that it is very old and complex."   
   
Okay, that didn't sound too bad actually. At least not life threatening. Right?   
"And what exactly.. does it do?" 

McGonagall gave him an unimpressed look, like she was thinking he was purposely being dense here.   
"As the name already indicates, it binds you to someone." When he still looked puzzled she heaved and exasperated sigh and explained: "Bonding spells were originally created for marriages, though nowadays only some old pureblood families still insist on using them."   
   
"Wait, so I'm... married to someone now?" he croaked.   
"A magical bond goes a lot deeper than that, Mr. Potter. Especially a soul bond. But for all intents and purposes - yes."   
   
Great. As if his life wasn't already complicated enough. He almost didn't dare to ask.   
"Who?"   
He could already tell by her expression that he wasn't going to like the answer.   
"Mr. Malfoy."   
Okay. He was technically married to Malfoy now, just because he had touched a book. Sure. Why not.   
   
"Mr. Malfoy awoke at about the same time you did. As I said, we don't yet know the exact nature of this spell. But if you're feeling up to it, I'll explain to you both what we know so far and how it will affect you."   
   
Harry was most definitely not feeling up to it. He actually felt close to a panic attack, truth be told. But if the last five years had taught him anything, it was to cope with unexpected things happening to him. He had learned that it was better to just go with it and get as much information as he could. So he nodded bravely, not trusting himself to speak. McGonagall disappeared for a moment, most likely to talk to someone, before pulling back the curtains.   
   
Draco was sitting in the bed next to his. He looked shaken up and very pale, the dark circles beneath his eyes more prominent than ever. Snape was standing next to his bed, his arms crossed over his chest, scowling at nothing in particular. Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen. McGonagall cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention.   
   
"As you already know, you were both sent a book this morning and when you touched those books you triggered the bonding spell placed on them, which created a soul bond between the two of you. As of yet we couldn't determine which spell was used. We only know that it was ancient and very complex. Which still doesn't explain why you both reacted as violently as you did. Professor Flitwick is currently examining the books. Hopefully he'll be able to give us more details tomorrow."   
   
Draco flinched slightly, but remained quiet, so Harry decided to ask the most important question. "And what are we supposed to do now? I mean... how does this … bond thing work?"   
   
"The bond will try to draw you together, because that is what all soul bonds were created to do. There might be some side effects if you're apart for a prolonged period of time. These can vary in intensity and usually range from a light feeling of anxiousness up to headaches, nausea and panic attacks." McGonagall explained. 

"From what we can tell you won't need to be around each other constantly." she hastened to add, upon seeing Harry's panicked look. "You'll be able to sleep in your separate dorm rooms and go about your lessons as usual. But I would suggest spending time together outside of class. I'm afraid, you'll have to test how much time is necessary, since we're not sure yet which bond we're dealing with. Some bonds also require physical contact. Again, you will have to try to find out if this is the case."   
   
Tense silenced followed her words.   
"Can it be broken?" Draco spoke up for the first time.   
"I'm afraid, I can't really answer that question, Mr. Malfoy. Some bonds can be broken as long as they are not yet fully sealed. Others take effect immediately. So we can't say for sure until we've discovered what spell exactly was used on you." McGonagall admitted.   
   
"And how do you seal a bond?" Harry asked. Maybe there was still hope.   
"Since they were usually used in marriage rituals, bonds are either sealed with the kiss at the end of the ritual or when the marriage is consummated." 

"Consummated?"   
"Sex, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall replied bluntly and Harry felt his face heat. He didn't dare look at Draco.   
   
"So … there's a chance that we can just … break this bond, yeah?" he checked.   
He didn't like the look the two professors exchanged and how his head of house seemed to stall. 

"There might be." she said slowly. "But… with the marks appearing on both of your wrists… I think it is unlikely."   
Harry did look at Draco at this, noticing for the first time that there was a bandage wrapped around his left wrist.  
   
"You should get some sleep now. Madam Pomfrey wants to keep you here overnight, because of the unusual reaction you both had to the bond. I'm sure we'll know more tomorrow." the assistant headmistress tried to reassure them.   
"What do you mean, unusual reaction?" Harry wanted to know. She had said that twice now.   
   
"Well.. a bond isn't supposed to cause pain. And I've also never heard of anyone fainting, let alone being unconscious for the better part of a day." she explained. "But never mind that. I'm sure you'll be fine. Sleep now." she finally ended the discussion in a voice that allowed to argument. 

Snape swept out of the room without sparing them another glance. McGonagall gave Harry a tight smile and followed the potions master, leaving the two boys alone.   
   
Harry risked a glance at Draco, who was sitting there, staring off into space. "So… do you know anything about these.. bonds?" he asked tentatively. 

The blond flinched and then shot him a dark look. Without answering he laid down with his back to Harry. The younger boy sighed in defeat and laid down as well. If the bond really couldn't be broken, he would be in for a hard life. Getting killed by Voldemort suddenly didn't sound so bad anymore.   
   
***  
   
Harry and Draco were released from the infirmary late the next morning. After spending a sleepless night staring either at the ceiling or Malfoy's back, Harry was glad to escape back to Gryffindor tower. Since it was Saturday, most students were hanging out in the common room and all eyes turned to him as soon as he entered. Ron and Hermione ushered him towards a squashy armchair in front of the fire and shielded him from the others as best as they could. They seemed to have forgotten their ongoing quarrel for the moment and were united in their concern for Harry.   
   
"Harry, are you okay? You just screamed and then you fainted. We were so worried. McGonagall wouldn't allow us to visit you." Hermione let him know.   
"Malfoy fainted, too." Ron added.   
Harry nodded tiredly. "I know. He was in the infirmary with me."   
   
"What happened? Was it that book you were sent? McGonagall wouldn't allow anyone to touch it. We thought it might've been cursed." Hermione again and Harry was only surprised that she hadn't started berating him yet for touching the bloody thing. 

"Yeah, it was cursed. And Malfoy got one too."   
"Bloody hell, mate. But you're alright now, aren't you? I mean, they wouldn't have released you if you weren't." Ron reasoned, obvious concern in his voice.   
   
"No, I'm not alright." Harry whispered, sinking deeper into the armchair. "It was a bonding spell. I'm bound to Malfoy." 

Saying it aloud made it feel all too real. Seeing the shocked looks on his friend's faces, he realized for the first time just what he'd gotten into. He was bound to Malfoy. He might have to spend his whole life bound to an arrogant prat who hated him. And who was also a death eater.  
   
"But… they can break it? Right?" Ron asked, once he'd found his voice again.   
Harry shrugged helplessly. "They don't even know what spell was used. And until they find out, there's nothing they can do." 

He didn't add that McGonagall had little hope of breaking the bond, even if she discovered the spell. His friends were shocked speechless already and he didn't want to be reminded of the facts himself.   
   
"I've read a bit about bonds, but I don't know much. I'm going to the library. See if I can find out more." Hermione decided.   
Harry simply nodded, having already expected this reaction. Really, it was Hermione's solution for everything. Find a book about it.   
"Is there anything you can tell me, that might help me narrow down the research?"   
   
"Umm.. McGonagall said it's a soul bond. And… she said something about marks…" he trailed off, looking at the bandage still wrapped around his wrist. Madam Pomfrey had told him he could take it off if he wanted to, but so far he hadn't dared. 

Now, with Ron and Hermione looking at him curiously, he undid the bandage with trembling fingers. And then he stared at the intricate symbol, that looked like it had been branded into the skin on the inside of his right wrist. The skin still looked red, despite the healing salve, but at least it wasn't hurting any longer.   
   
"That's a Celtic knot." Hermione observed. "And Malfoy has the same?"   
Harry shrugged. "I didn't see it. I guess so. Oh, but it's on his left wrist."   
"Really? That's fascinating. I wonder…" And she ran off without finishing her sentence.   
Harry and Ron shared an amused glance. They were used to her antics after all. 

"So… someone sent you that book. You and Malfoy. Who the hell would want to bind you to Malfoy?" the red-head wondered.   
"Someone who hates me." Harry groaned, burying his head in his hands.   
   
***  
   
He spent some time talking things through with Ron. And Ginny. And Seamus, Dean, Neville, Lavender and Parvati, who all joined the discussion at some point. When it was time for lunch he felt worn out, after going on about the subject again and again. 

McGonagall shook her head when he caught her gaze, letting him know that there were no news yet. Hermione had her nose buried in a book and barely acknowledged him. Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table and was surprised when he didn't see Draco. He shrugged it off and concentrated on his food.   
   
But when Draco failed to show up to dinner, Harry felt his unease growing. Returning to the common room with Ron and Neville, he was twitchy and nervous. It was only when Ginny commented that he looked unwell, that he finally made the connection.   
"I think I need to find Malfoy."   
   
Not willing to run around the castle, looking for the blond git, he fetched the Marauders Map, which reminded him that he really should contact Sirius and tell him what had happened. Later, he decided, staring at the map until he spied the tiny dot labelled Draco Malfoy. He was in the kitchens. Well, not that surprising, considering that he'd missed lunch and dinner. 

Harry hurried downstairs and breathed a small sigh of relief when he finally found the blond sitting at a small table with a large book and what looked like a mug of hot chocolate. The dark-haired boy took a seat across from him and asked one of the elves, who had started fawning over him as soon as he entered, to bring him some hot chocolate as well.   
   
"What do you want?" Malfoy snapped, without looking up.   
"What I want? You heard what McGonagall said. We're supposed to spend time together." Harry snapped back. 

The blond did look up then and Harry had to stifle a wince. Up close the pallor of his skin and the dark rings beneath his eyes were even more prominent. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.   
"Fine. Stay here. But don't bother me." That said he dropped his gaze back to his book and proceeded to ignore Harry.   
   
The Gryffindor sighed and sipped his hot chocolate. The feeling of anxiousness had passed, now that he was close to Malfoy. But he had no idea how much time he would have to spend around the git. After simply sitting there for what felt like hours, he finally asked Dobby to bring him his school bag, so he could at least do something productive and get started on his Charms essay.   
   
When Dobby returned and handed over the bag with his usual excited demeanour, he noticed Malfoy looking at the elf curiously. Remembering that Dobby had been the Malfoy's house elf, Harry quickly thanked him and shooed him off, before Draco could say anything mean. The blond seemed about to say something, but then simply shook his head and went back to reading. 

They stayed like that for several hours. Draco reading his book and Harry doing his homework. He was surprised that he managed to finish his Charms essay and get started on Transfiguration. He would've never gotten that much work done in the common room, that was for sure. And sitting quietly together like this actually felt okay.   
   
When Malfoy finally closed his book and got up, Harry stopped him. "Malfoy, wait."   
The blond looked at him wearily, but made no move to leave.   
"Look… I hate this as much as you do, but you heard what McGonagall said. We need to spend time together or there will be side effects. So… can we just try to get along for a few hours a day? With a little luck they'll find a way to break this stupid bond in a few days and we'll be free."   
   
Harry watched fascinated as a range of emotions passed over Draco's face, before the usual, cool mask slid back into place. He looked ready to argue, to lash out. In the end he nodded curtly.   
"Tomorrow, then. Same place, same time." 

Knowing this was as good as he was going to get, the Gryffindor nodded. "Alright. See you tomorrow."   
Malfoy gave another curt nod and hurried off. Harry watched him go, before turning back to the table to gather his things.   
   
Dobby appeared out of nowhere and started cleaning up.   
"I'm sorry if Malfoy being here makes you uncomfortable, Dobby. You can just avoid him next time, okay?" Harry suggested.   
The elf looked up at him with his large eyes. "Oh no, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby does not mind seeing the young master. Young master has always been kind to Dobby, sir."   
   
This came as quite a surprise to Harry. "You mean… he didn't hit you or anything?" he checked.   
Dobby started twisting his ears nervously, his gaze darting around. Probably looking for something to hurt himself with.   
"It's okay, Dobby. You're not their elf anymore. You can tell me about the Malfoys." Harry reassured him.   
   
"Master Malfoy is a bad wizard." the elf said bravely. "A very bad wizard. But the young master Draco is not bad. He ordered Dobby to play with him. Hide and seek and other games. And he told Dobby secrets and sometimes he even gave Dobby some of his sweets. But Dobby never told anyone. Master Malfoy would have been very furious."   
Yes, Harry had no doubt about that. "Thanks for telling me, Dobby. Goodnight."   
   
As he made his way back to Gryffindor tower, Harry tried to picture a young Draco playing hide and seek with Dobby and sneaking him some of his sweets. It was a strange thought and didn't fit in with what he knew about the haughty Slytherin. He couldn't help but wonder what else he didn't know about Malfoy. Maybe the blond actually wasn't as much of a git as he'd always believed.   
   
The common room was mostly deserted when he arrived, so Harry went up to his dorm. Ron and Neville were already asleep, while Dean and Seamus were talking quietly in Dean's bed. Harry changed into his pyjamas and crawled into bed as well, drawing the curtains shut. Despite feeling tired and worn out it took him a long time to fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Harry and Malfoy were running through a dark, winding corridor, with Voldemort's snake chasing after them. Voldemort was hissing in the background, ordering the snake to kill them. Harry's breath was coming in short, painful gasps and his legs felt like jelly, but Malfoy had a death grip on his hand and was dragging him on._

_Then the scene changed and they were suddenly standing in a clearing in the forbidden forest, surrounded by masked Death Eaters. Harry noticed that Malfoy was still holding his hand. "Don't let go, Harry. They can't hurt us, as long as we're together." he was saying. And then he pulled Harry into his arms, as the Death Eaters fired killing curses at them and the clearing disappeared in a flash of green light._

  
   
Harry sat bolt upright in bed, panting like he'd really just been running for his life. He fumbled for his glasses and looked at the clock. 3 am in the morning. Hesitating only a moment he reached for the two-way-mirror and cast a quick silencing charm at his bed-hangings, so he wouldn't disturb the others.

"Sirius Black."   
The mirror shimmered slightly and seconds later his godfather's face appeared, gazing at him worriedly. "Harry, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"   
   
He nodded, feeling foolish all of a sudden.   
"Sorry. Did I wake you?"   
Sirius shook his head. "Nah, I was just about to go to bed, actually. Moony only just returned from his latest assignment for the Order."

At his words, Remus face appeared at his shoulder, giving Harry a smile. "Do you want to talk about the nightmare?" he inquired.   
"Ummm, yeah, but… there's something else. I haven't had time to tell you yet, but something happened yesterday."   
The two men shared a quick look, before giving him their undivided attention. "Tell us, Harry."   
   
So he took a deep breath and told them about the book and the bond and what McGonagall had said. Of course Remus admonished him for being careless, but Sirius shushed the werewolf.   
"He couldn't have known, Moony. With all the security measures… How the hell did that thing get through to Harry?"

"I have no idea. And who sent it? Because whoever it was must have intended to bind Harry to Draco. Which doesn't make much sense." Remus mused.   
"Yeah, everyone knows we hate each other. Do you think this is some sort of sick joke or…?" Harry wondered.   
"It could be. I don't know, Harry. I'll contact McGonagall in the morning. Ask her what she knows so far and see if I can help." the werewolf promised.   
   
"What about the nightmare?" Sirius prodded.   
Harry told them what he remembered.

"Hmm.. I wouldn't give it too much thought. It's probably just your subconscious, trying to come to terms with the bond." Remus reasoned.   
Harry instantly felt better. "Okay, thanks. I'll let you get some sleep now."   
"Don't worry about it. We're here whenever you need us, okay?" Sirius assured.  
   
The dark-haired boy smiled at the assurance and bid them goodnight. It still took him some time to fall asleep again. When he finally did, he dreamed of two naked bodies, entwined on white sheets, blond hair and pale skin in the moonlight. This time he woke with a raging hard-on and a strange sense of longing. Making sure that the silencing spell was still in place, he quickly took care of the problem, before getting up to join the others for breakfast.

***  
   
As soon as he sat down at the Gryffindor table, he was accosted by Hermione.   
"I did some research yesterday. And I must say, soul bonds are a very fascinating subject."

Harry tried to catch Ron's eye to share a long suffering look, but the redhead was busy stuffing his face and ignoring Lavender's chatter. So he focused his concentration on Hermione again. "Did you find anything useful?"   
   
"I can't be sure yet. It's a very complex subject and I don't know what kind of bond was used on you. There are about 20 different spells known today and some historians believe there might be quite a few more, which were simply forgotten. Can you believe that?"

Without waiting for an answer she barged on: "Soul bonds were originally created out of love, did you know? If people wanted to make it clear that they were marrying for love and not because of some political arrangement, they would ask for a soul bond. Because once sealed, most of them are impossible to break. But then in the 1700s it became common practice among the old pureblood families. I'm not exactly sure why. The resources are rather vague on that. The trend lasted for about 100 years, before diminishing. In 1920 the use of magical bonds was mostly discarded and nowadays only some old-fashioned pureblood families still insist on using them."   
   
Harry could have done without all these boring, historic facts. But he knew how Hermione got when she was researching something, so he nodded along and forced himself to smile. "Did you find out anything else?" Anything useful, he added mentally.   
   
"Yes, of course. A soul bond literally binds two people's lives together. Usually the spell is put on the wedding bands and when the couple touches them, the bond is activated. But I read in one of the books that you can use pretty much any object. There was this one couple that decided to use pendants instead of wedding bands…"

Catching Harry's no-doubt dark look, she quickly abandoned that train of thought and went on: " Most bonds need to be sealed to take full effect. That usually happens with the kiss at the end of the ceremony or… you know, with the … wedding night." She blushed and Harry felt his own face heating. Yes, McGonagall had already told him.

Deciding to quickly change the subject, before his mind could wander down a road he definitely didn't want it to go, Harry asked: "And unless it's been sealed, it can be broken?"   
   
"Umm.. well, most bonds can. But I've read about a few instances where that wasn't the case. Trying to break a bond can be dangerous. Life-threatening even. And… I haven't found any mention about a soul bond causing marks to appear on your skin." Hermione admitted reluctantly. "But… I'm sure I just haven't found the right book, yet. I'll keep looking." she promised.   
   
Harry feared he might have to come to terms with the fact that he was stuck with Malfoy for good. "Can you tell me anything else?"   
If he couldn't get rid of the bond (and the blond git) he at least wanted to know what he was in for.

"It's like McGonagall said. You need to spend time together, or you'll experience discomfort. The symptoms vary. Being apart for too long might even affect your health and - in the worst case - cause your death."   
   
Yes, he'd already guessed as much. So he simply nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"A bond grows deeper over time. Some resources say this is just the nature of the bond. Others believe it happens when the couple starts feeling more comfortable with each other. They can draw strength from each other and sense the others emotions. Their magic gets stronger as well."   
   
Great. Because what he really needed on top of all that was to feel whatever Malfoy was feeling. He glanced over at the Slytherin table, where Malfoy was staring off into space while Pansy Parkinson was talking to him. He looked tired and Harry wondered if he'd slept poorly as well. But Malfoy always looked tired these days. Then the blond turned his head and their eyes met. Harry felt himself blushing and quickly looked away.   
   
When he was about to leave the Great Hall with Ron and Neville some time later, he was stopped by McGonagall.   
"A word, Mr. Potter. In my office, please."   
Dread coiling in his stomach he followed her, not surprised when Malfoy was asked to do the same.   
   
Minutes later they were sitting in her office, with the assistant headmistress giving them a sombre look.   
"I'm sorry to tell you that we have come no further in discovering the exact nature of the bonding spell. The enchanted objects have been thoroughly checked over, but it seems the spell faded away as soon as you had activated it."

She gave them a moment to let that information sink in, before continuing: "Professor Flitwick, professor Snape and I are continuing our research on the subject. Remus Lupin has also kindly offered to help. I know this is hard for both of you, but until we succeed, you will need to cope as best as you can. Try to spend time together. Without getting into a fight, I might add. Though that should be obvious."

She gave them both a stern look, before continuing: "And let me know if you feel any strange effects. I would also advise visiting the infirmary if you're feeling unwell. This is very old magic we're dealing with here. It's not to be taken lightly."  
   
Malfoy disappeared as soon as she dismissed them, so Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room. But Hermione was obviously still in the library and Ron was once again busy snogging Lavender, so he headed out and decided to visit Hagrid.

"Nasty business, that bond. But ye'll be rid of Malfoy in no time, I'm sure." the half giant tried to cheer him up.   
They had tea and then Hagrid showed him the Nifflers he had acquired for his next Care of Magical Creatures class. "Been thinkin bout getting an Erumpent next." he told Harry. "But McGonagall wouldn't allow it. Said it was too dangerous."  
   
The afternoon went by very fast and the later it got, the more anxious Harry started to feel. He spent lunch at Hagrid's hut and wasn't too surprised when Malfoy didn't show up for dinner. He didn't feel all that hungry himself. A strange, churning sensation in his stomach kept him from eating. Ginny, Neville and Hermione kept throwing him worried glances.   
   
"I'm fine. It's just that stupid bond. I'm meeting Malfoy later. That should settle it." he assured his friends.

He left dinner early, grabbed his school bag and headed down to the kitchen.   
"Harry Potter, sir is visiting again. What an honour!" a tiny elf squealed upon seeing him.   
Harry smiled at her and settled down on the table to wait for Malfoy.

Luckily he didn't have to wait long. The blond stormed into the kitchen only a few minutes later, relaxing visibly when he spied Harry. "You felt it, too?" the younger boy asked.   
Malfoy nodded and sat down next to him.   
   
Immediately there were two or three house elves bustling around them, asking if they needed anything. Now that his stomach had settled, Harry felt that he could use something to eat. "Do you have any treacle tart left? And maybe some chocolate cake for him?"

The elves ran to get the food immediately and Harry noticed Malfoy giving him a strange look.   
"What? You weren't at dinner. I thought you could use some food." he pointed out, noticing once again that the blond had lost weight.   
Malfoy didn't answer, but when Dobby brought him a large slice of chocolate cake he dug in hungrily, giving the elf a small smile.   
   
"Dobby said you played with him when you were a child."   
He didn't know why he said it. It just felt awkward, sitting here with his rival and he'd spurted the first thing that came to mind.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes. "Potter! McGonagall told us to spend time together. She said nothing about talking."   
"I just thought it might be a good idea to get to know each other better. You know, since there's a chance that this stupid bond is permanent! Forgive me for trying to be nice." Harry huffed.   
   
"Well, I'd cope better with this stupid bond if you didn't talk." Malfoy snapped.   
"Fine. No talking then."

The Gryffindor fought the urge to hit him, but contended himself with a glare instead. He took out parchment and quill and started on his Transfigurations essay. Malfoy quietly did the same. They worked in silence for a few hours, until Harry could no longer stand it and packed up his things. Muttering: "See you tomorrow then." he headed out of the kitchen without looking back.   
   
Therefore he missed how Draco's shoulders slumped and how the blond watched him go. Damn, why did Potter have to try and talk to him? It was bad enough that he was forced to spend time with him. The sleepless nights and constant stress were getting to him. He couldn't let his guard down. Especially not around Potter.

Draco was afraid of what he might reveal if he actually allowed himself to talk to the other boy. He had too many dangerous secrets to keep. Unconsciously he started rubbing his arm. The dark mark still hurt sometimes and he shuddered whenever he looked at it, remembering that awful night. His mother standing on the side, pale and anxious, next to her cackling sister. Voldemort's disfigured face looking down at him, as he pressed his wand to Draco's arm. And then nothing but pain.   
   
Draco knew that he was doomed. Just like his parents. Even as he struggled to fulfil at least one of the tasks given to him, he knew deep down that he would fail. That he was expected to fail. It was only a matter of time until the dark lord decided that he'd had enough of torturing Draco and his family. Only a matter of time until Draco would be forced to watch his mother die, before being killed himself. Part of him just wanted it to be over already, while another part urged him to fight. His inner struggle was as tiring as the sleepless nights and the constant fear that haunted his every step.   
   
And as if his life wasn't already difficult enough, fate had decided to play a cruel trick on him and bind him to Potter of all people. The bane of his existence. The boy he should hate, and yet couldn't help but secretly admire for his bravery.

Oh yes, he had hated Potter. Back in first year, when the younger boy had so callously rebuffed his offer of friendship. At eleven Draco had been obsessed with the idea of making him pay. Of showing him what he had missed out on. Now at sixteen he was simply obsessed with Potter himself.   
   
He didn't know when things had changed. A part of him had always yearned for Potter's friendship. But somewhere along the line he had started wanting more than just friendship. And now life was laughing in his face, by luring him into this stupid bond and dangling the offer of more in front of him, even though he knew that he could never have it. It wasn't fair. Nothing about his life was fair and Draco could only wonder how much longer he'd be able to go on like this, until it all became too much.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short update this time. I hope the next chapter will be longer. I'll try my best, at least.

As the week dragged on without any progress concerning the bond, Harry and Draco settled into a routine. They sat together in the classes they shared, met up in the library to do their homework on the days they didn't share classes and spent time in the kitchen in the evenings. Mostly in silence, that had even started feeling almost comfortable. Although Harry was prone to babbling and didn't seem to care when the blond ignored him.   
   
Draco got even less sleep than before, because he still tried to work on the vanishing cabinet, while having to spend time with Harry. Though his lack of progress was getting increasingly frustrating. He felt constantly on edge, with the threat of death looming ever closer and the few hours of sleep he got every night plagued by nightmares. His friends had started giving him a wide berth, since he was prone to snapping at anyone who crossed his path. Even Crabbe and Goyle started avoiding him.  
   
It had been exactly a week since the incident, as he had taken to calling it, when he stepped out of the room of hidden things and stiffened in alarm. He hadn't been able to find either Crabbe or Goyle and therefore had no guard outside. The corridor looked deserted, but Draco swore that he could feel a presence close by. With his brain sluggish from lack of sleep it took him a moment to realize why. When he did, he slumped back against the wall with a sigh.   
   
"I know you're there, Potter. What the hell do you think you're doing?"   
Potter removed his invisibility cloak, appearing just a few steps to Draco's right. He looked sheepish.   
"How did you know I was there?" 

"I could feel your presence. Thanks to that stupid bond. You might bear that in mind, the next time you try to spy on me." Draco snarled.   
"Oh. I guess I should have seen that coming. Hermione mentioned something like that." the younger boy said, completely unapologetic.   
The Slytherin snorted, somehow unsurprised that Potter wasn't even trying to deny that he'd been spying on him.   
   
He knew that he should go down to the dungeons, try to get some sleep. It was most likely already past curfew and he was planning on coming back to the room of hidden things in the morning. But his feet refused to move. He felt ready to drop where he stood. With a weary sigh he sat down on the floor, his back to the wall. Harry watched him closely.   
   
"You look like you haven't slept in days."   
Draco didn't answer. he simply sat there, hoping that Potter would go away. No such luck. Instead of leaving him alone, the other boy sat down next to him.   
"I never get enough sleep either. Mostly because of nightmares." he told the blond. "I guess you get those as well, huh?"   
   
Draco merely shrugged, wondering why the hell Potter was telling him this.   
"I could help you, you know?" the dark-haired boy suddenly said. "Whatever it is that's troubling you. Whatever you're doing in there. I could help you. I could try, at least."   
   
It was such an incredibly stupid Gryffindor thing to say that Draco actually laughed out loud. It was a harsh laugh and he felt his throat constricting and tears prickling at his eyes. Struggling upright, he snapped: "Just leave me alone, Potter." and marched away in quick strides, afraid he might break down if he stayed a second longer.   
   
***  
   
Harry had no idea what had possessed him to make the offer. Draco had just looked so tired and defeated. He always looked tired and defeated these days. Harry wanted to help and didn't know how. He was certain now that the blond was a Death Eater. That Voldemort had given him some impossible task. Strangely enough the thought didn't put him off, like it should.   
   
He could no longer deny that he felt drawn to Draco. And while he would love to blame it on the bond, deep down he knew that he couldn't. That those feelings had been there long before the bond. He hadn't only watched the blond because of his suspicions. He had watched him because Draco was, quite frankly, very nice to look at. 

Unfortunately he had no idea what to do with this revelation. Draco still seemed to hate him. At the very least he didn't trust him. And how was Harry supposed to help if the blond didn't tell him what the problem was? How was this bond supposed to work if Draco continued to fight him?   
   
***  
   
Another week went by without any real change. Harry and Draco spent only as much time together as they had to, although Harry couldn't help but notice that more time seemed to be required now. He started feeling anxious when they didn't have classes together and Draco failed to show up at the library in the afternoon. Hermione had calculated that they had to spend at least 5 hours a day in each other's presence now, where it had only been about 3 at the beginning. 

Physical contact helped to settle the bond, but Draco shied away whenever Harry came too close. Sometimes Harry would get away with sitting close enough to the blond that their shoulders were touching. At least for a few minutes. It was enough for now. But Harry had a feeling that it wouldn't stay that way for long.   
   
He had pretty much accepted that their bond would be permanent. The teachers, Remus and Hermione were still no closer to figuring out what spell had been used and he could feel the bond growing ever tighter. Aside from having to spend more time together and the whole touching thing, he could sense Draco's presence when the Slytherin was close by. 

But while Harry was ready to just make the best of the bond, Draco seemed more determined than ever to fight it. He ignored Harry whenever he could and refused to talk to him, even when it was just the two of them. When he did acknowledge Harry, it was only to snap at him. It was getting tiresome and Harry wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. 

Lucky for him, Draco broke first.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments. They really motivated me to get the next chapter done quickly. It's a long one this time and it doesn't even have a cliffhanger.

The day went pretty normal for Harry. At least what could be considered normal these days. When he went to the Great Hall for lunch with Ron and Neville (Hermione was still ensconced in the library), he even got a pleasant surprise. Katie Bell had returned from St. Mungo's. She couldn't remember anything about what had happened to her, but the healers had assured her that there would be no lasting damage. 

"That's great, Katie. Are you going to re-join the Quidditch team then?" Harry asked.   
"I'd love to. If you'll have me back."   
"Of course we want you back." he assured her with a grin. 

Dean was an okay player, but Katie was a lot better than him. And there was also the minor problem that Dean got into regular fights with Ginny, which messed up the team dynamics. "Our next practice is scheduled for Friday evening. I'm expecting to see you there."   
Katie grinned and promised to show up.   
   
After lunch Harry was in high spirits, feeling like things were finally looking up again. Not even the fact that they had 2 hours of DADA with Snape now could dampen his good mood. About 20 minutes into the lesson however, he started feeling uneasy. At first he reasoned that it couldn't be the bond. True, he hadn't seen Draco at lunch, which was nothing unusual, but he had sat next to the blond for 2 hours of Transfiguration in the morning. That should have been enough to satisfy the bond for another couple of hours. 

So he tried to ignore the feeling. But it wouldn't go away. It wasn't even the usual anxiousness he was used to by now. It was more like a niggling thought, just on the edge of his subconscious. And it felt vague, almost as if it wasn't really coming from him.   
   
Fidgeting slightly, he debated what to do, completely droning out Snape's lecture and missing Hermione's worried glance. He finally decided to act on instinct. Since ignoring was impossible, he tried the opposite and concentrated on that strange feeling. 

At first it eluded him. Like when you're trying to grasp a stray thought and it drifts away. So he tried harder and a second later he was flooded with so much despair that his knees buckled. He was vaguely aware of Ron's hands steadying him and Hermione calling his name. It took all of his willpower not to succumb to the despair, start sobbing and curl into a ball on the floor. He remembered what Hermione had told him about soul bonds. Knew that the feeling wasn't his own. It was coming from Draco.  
   
"Mr. Potter! What is the meaning of this ruckus?"   
Snape's voice cut through the fog in his head. He blinked and tried to push the despair to the back of his mind again. But now that he had opened himself up to it, he couldn't stop the flow of Draco's feelings.   
"I'm… unwell. May I be excused… sir?" he managed to ask.   
   
Snape gave him a critical once over and nodded curtly. Proof that he really must look terrible, Harry thought. "Weasley, take him to the hospital wing."   
"No… I can manage." Harry insisted, shaking off Ron's hands and bolting for the door. He didn't care that everyone stared at him, that Hermione called after him, or that he'd left his bag behind. He needed to find Draco. Now.  
   
He ran along the corridor blindly and only slowed to a stop once he reached the staircase. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his racing heartbeat he pulled the Marauders Map from his pocket. He had started taking it with him all the time last week and now he was grateful for it. 

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."   
Staring anxiously at the little moving dots he breathed a sigh of relief when he finally spied Draco. The blond was on the second floor and Harry did a double take when he realized where exactly. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.   
   
Deciding to ponder that fact later he hurried down the stairs, only slowing his steps once he reached the door to the bathroom. He could hear sobs and the voice of Myrtle, crooning softly. Taking another deep breath he pushed the door open and stepped cautiously inside.   
   
Draco was standing bowed low over the sink, clutching the porcelain like it was the only thing keeping him from falling over. Myrtle was at his shoulder, obviously trying to offer comfort in her own, weird way. 

Harry wasn't sure if Draco heard him or if he sensed his approach through the bond. But all of a sudden the blond whirled around and pointed his wand at him. He resisted the urge to draw his own wand, knowing full well that it could only end badly and instead held up his hands in a placating gesture.   
   
For a few tense seconds neither of them moved. Then, ever so slowly, Draco lowered his wand, dropping his gaze to the floor.   
"Leave me alone, Potter." He sounded utterly defeated.   
   
Instead of heeding the quiet command, Harry slowly moved closer. He couldn't tell why, but for some reason he was sure that the blond wouldn't attack him.   
"I'm not going anywhere." 

He was surprised how sure his own voice sounded, when he felt so insecure and out of depth. Tentatively he reached out and put a hand on Draco's shoulder. The Slytherin flinched, but made no move to pull away.   
"I'm here, Draco."   
   
For a moment the blond seemed to waiver. Then he suddenly launched himself at Harry without warning. They crashed to the floor and the Gryffindor found himself with an armful of Draco Malfoy. Choked sobs were torn from Draco's throat as he clung to Harry desperately. The younger boy wrapped both arms around him and held him tight, murmuring soothing words. "Shh… it's okay. I've got you."  
   
He had no idea how long they stayed like this, sitting on the cold floor, clinging to each other, until Draco pulled back slightly to look at him. His eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, his face covered in tear tracks. He looked utterly broken. And somehow still so beautiful. 

"Help me."   
The whispered plea caused Harry to pull him closer again.   
"I will. I promise."   
He carded his hand through the silky blond hair, marvelling at how soft it felt. And Draco let him. Even cuddled a little closer. It was as if all the fight had gone out of him.   
   
The sound of the bell ringing, closely followed by footsteps thundering by outside made them both jump.   
"I have class." Draco muttered and tried to get up, but Harry held him tight.   
"You're in no state to go to class." he argued. "And neither am I."   
   
For a moment he feared the Slytherin would fight him, but in the end he only slumped back down, leaning heavily against him. 

"But I think we should get out of here." His back and buttocks were starting to hurt from sitting awkwardly on the cold tiles for so long. Draco tensed and Harry knew instinctively what he was thinking. "Don't worry. I'll make sure we don't run into anyone." he assured. "But we need to talk and I'd like to do it somewhere more comfortable."  
   
After a moment the blond nodded and they both got up. "You're not planning on dragging me to your common room, are you?"   
Harry grinned. "No, I don't think that would go down too well."   
He pulled out the Marauders Map and Draco looked at it curiously. Hesitating only slightly, Harry handed it over. 

"My dad and his friends made that in their time at Hogwarts. It can be pretty useful." He smiled when the blond's eyes widened.   
"I bet it can. That's how you always find me then?"   
The Gryffindor nodded and waited for a scathing retort, but none came. Draco simply handed the map back.   
   
Harry scanned it for a moment, before nodding to the other boy. They left the bathroom and crept along the corridor. Since lessons had already started again, there were not many people around and it wasn't too hard to avoid those who were. 

"Where are we going?" Draco whispered when Harry led him up yet another flight of stairs.   
"What do you think?" the younger boy whispered back, finally coming to a halt.   
   
Draco looked around nervously, realizing where they were. Before he could say anything, Harry started pacing in front of the wall. As soon as the door appeared, he pulled the blond into the room, both looking around. The room of requirement had turned into a perfect copy of the Slytherin common room, just like Harry remembered it. He thought that Draco might feel more comfortable in the familiar surroundings.   
   
"I didn't know the room could to that." the blond murmured.   
"As far as I know, it can turn into anything you wish for." Harry said with a shrug. 

He expected Draco to take a seat on the couch or in one of the comfortable looking armchairs, but instead the blond slumped down on the rug in front of the fireplace. Harry sat down next to him and for a moment they both just stared into the flickering flames. After a while Harry took Draco's hand, turning it with the palm up so he could inspect the symbol etched into the skin of his inner wrist. It really was the same Celtic knot he bore on his right wrist. The lines had darkened a little and looked like a faded tattoo now.  
   
Draco made no move to pull away. He simply watched Harry, as he inspected the symbol. When he realized what the younger boy was up to, it was already too late. With a quick movement Harry pushed his sleeve up to the elbow. Draco froze and tried to ready himself for the inevitable exclamation of disgust. 

But it never came. Harry was inspecting the Dark Mark like he had the Celtic knot. He didn't seem shocked or appalled. Only curious.   
"You knew." the blond realized.   
"Yes, I did."  
   
Draco freed himself from Harry's grasp and pushed the sleeve back down, unwilling to look at the ugly mark. He did his best to keep it covered all the time, so he never had to look at it. 

"I didn't want it. But I had no choice. He…" His voice broke and he tried in vain to choke back a sob. Hadn't he cried enough already? Humiliated himself enough in front of Potter? He tried to gather what little dignity he had left, but it was all in vain when Harry scooted closer and he was wrapped in the Gryffindor's comforting embrace again. 

Giving up on the losing battle against his emotions, Draco hid his face against Harry's chest and allowed the tears to fall. The stress and fear of the past weeks finally caught up with him. The hopelessness of his situation.   
"He's going to k..kill mother. And he'll make me … watch and then… he… he'll kill me too."  
   
The sobbed confession caused Harry's arms to tighten around him. "He won't get you. I'll make sure of that." he promised with so much conviction that Draco wanted to believe him. If there was anyone who could save him, it would be Harry Potter. And why shouldn't he take Harry up on his word? He was so tired of trying to accomplish the tasks that had been set for him. It would be so much easier to give up and put his trust in Harry.   
   
But what about his mother? There was no way to free her. Not even for the Chosen One and Draco couldn't simply give up on the only person who had ever truly loved him. Regaining some of his composure he pulled out of Harry's arms and looked at him sadly.   
"Even if you could… He's got my mother."   
   
"He's holding her hostage?"   
"Pretty much. I think she can't say much in her letters, but… from what I've read between the lines he has death eaters stationed at Malfoy Manor and Bellatrix is following her around everywhere."   
   
His mother had always been a lot cleverer than most people gave her credit for. Even if they read her letters before allowing her to send them, which Draco suspected, she chose her words so carefully they couldn't find anything amiss. Bellatrix would probably think she meant it, when she wrote: It's so nice to have my sister with me again. I enjoy every minute I get to spend with her.  
   
"What about when your mum leaves the manor? Bellatrix is an escaped convict. She can hardly just stroll down Diagon Alley." Harry reasoned.   
"I don't know. I guess she's disguising herself or using polyjuice. I also think they don't allow mother to leave the manor often." 

The younger boy nodded, looking thoughtful. "But she does leave it sometimes, right?"   
Draco shrugged. "Yes, of course. She still has appearances to uphold. Some people would wonder if she simply … vanished. They would start asking questions and I don't think the dark lord wants to risk that. At least not yet."  
   
Harry felt a plan beginning to form. If they could rescue Draco's mother, then maybe he could get the blond to switch sides. It was clear that Draco didn't want to work for Voldemort. He had been forced into his service. And he had asked Harry to help him. 

"Could you say where she'll be at a certain time?" he checked.   
Draco looked surprised, but after a moment he nodded. "She usually has lunch with the wives of some important people every Friday at the Maison de Jouissances in Diagon Alley. It was father's idea. Another way for him to gain more influence. Mother actually finds most of these women very dull and boring."  
   
Well, that sounded promising. Today was Wednesday. So if he could get word to the Order, they could swoop in and rescue Narcissa on her way home. Bringing her to Grimmauld Place might be too risky, but Sirius had mentioned something about a new safe house during the Christmas holidays. It would be worth a shot. And for some reason he really wanted to help Draco. All he needed to do was contact the Order. 

For a moment Harry contemplated going to Dumbledore, but he dismissed the thought quickly. He didn't even know if the headmaster was at Hogwarts right now or on one of his now frequent travels. And Dumbledore would probably demand a lengthy explanation. He'd be better off going to Sirius with this request.  
   
Plan formed, he jumped to his feet, startling Draco. "I need to check something. I'll be right back, okay? Will you wait here?"   
The blond hesitated slightly, before giving a reluctant nod. "Just.. don't take too long, okay?"   
"I'll make it quick." Harry promised with a smile. 

He was really starting to like this insecure Draco and a part of him hoped that this would finally bring them closer together. Draco seemed tired of holding up appearances and trying to please his father. Maybe he was tired of fighting the bond as well.  
   
The dark-haired boy hurried to Gryffindor tower, only taking the time to make sure he didn't run into anyone. Once safely in his dorm he reached for the two-way-mirror and contacted his godfather. 

"Harry, is something wrong?" Sirius asked, immediately worried.   
"Yeah, sort of. It's a long story and I don't have much time to explain. But.. I need to ask a favour from the Order."   
His words didn't seem to comfort the animagus, but he nodded and urged his godson to continue.   
"I need you to get Narcissa Malfoy and take her somewhere safe."   
   
Sirius finally seemed to relax a little. He even smiled as he asked: "So you finally made some progress with Draco?" 

Harry had told him two days ago that he had started accepting the bond and then proceeded to rant about how infuriating Draco was and how he wished the blond would finally stop fighting him and just accept this thing as well. Somehow that had made the animagus realize that Harry had a crush on Draco and now he kept trying to rile him up.   
   
Harry however chose to ignore the comment. "I swear I'll tell you all the details later, but right now I don't have much time. I promised him I'd be back soon."   
That comment earned him a lewd grin, which he ignored as well.  
"Voldemort is trying to make Draco do something. He threatened to kill his mother and force Draco to watch! You need to get her to safety. Please."   
   
"Alright, so you want us to go to Malfoy Manor and…"  
"No! You can't go there.” Harry interrupted. “He's got death eaters stationed there. You need to intercept her on Friday, before she goes back." 

Sirius looked slightly taken aback by this, but he recovered quickly. "Okay. And I suppose you can tell me where we are supposed to intercept her."   
"Draco said she has lunch with some women every Friday at the maison de … something in Diagon Alley." 

"Ahh, that fancy French restaurant. Figures. Anything else?" the animagus wanted to know.   
"Yes. Bellatrix will most likely be with her. Draco said she's following his mother around. Probably to make sure she doesn't run off. He thinks she could be using polyjuice."  
   
There was no mistaking the vindictive glint in Sirius eyes. He hadn't forgotten Bellatrix' attempt to kill him at the Department of Mysteries.   
"Don't worry. I'll deal with her." he promised. 

Harry felt a chill run down his spine and hoped that Remus would prevent his godfather from doing anything stupid.   
"I'll talk to Moony and the others, formulate a plan. I'll let you know what we come up with. Or better yet, contact me again tonight, yeah? You did promise me an explanation." Sirius reminded.   
   
Harry thanked him and promised to get back to him later.   
"And I want all the juicy details." his godfather shouted just before the mirror went dark. 

Harry shook his head with a grin. Already feeling lighter he hid the mirror in his trunk again and was almost out the door when a thought occurred to him. He doubled back and grabbed his invisibility cloak, before heading back to the room of requirement.  
   
***  
   
Draco was pacing anxiously, waiting for Harry to return. He felt ashamed for breaking down like that. Especially in front of the Gryffindor. A part of him wanted to run away and hide, but the more logical part knew that it wouldn't change anything. He wouldn't be able to hide from Harry for long. 

He was just so sick and tired of it all. Being used as a pawn, first by his own father and now by Voldemort. Trying to fulfil the impossible task that madman had set for him. The constant worry for his mother. And this thing with Potter. It got harder and harder to fight his growing attraction for the other boy. Especially since Potter refused to let Draco's nasty attitude scare him off and instead continued to be nice to him.   
   
The blond jumped when the door suddenly opened, but relaxed even before Harry pulled his invisibility cloak off.   
"You're still here." the Gryffindor noted, relief evident in his voice.   
"I said I would stay." Draco mumbled.   
   
Harry nodded and went to sit down in front of the fire again. After a moment's hesitation, Draco joined him.   
"I've got good news. What do you know about the Order of the Phoenix?"   
The blond looked puzzled for a moment. "They fought the dark lord in the first war."   
"And they're fighting him again. I just spoke to them and they promised to take your mother somewhere safe. They're going to intercept her on Friday."  
   
Draco didn't know what to say. It was probably not surprising that Harry had contact to the Order. But that he'd actually get them to help Draco's mother…   
"You… Is that true? Please promise me you're not lying." He hated how small his voice sounded, when he had been aiming for demanding. 

Harry grabbed his hand and the blond flinched slightly. Reluctantly he looked at the other boy, surprised at the sincerity on his face.   
"I wouldn't lie to you, Draco. Not about something like this." he promised in that quiet, sure way, that made Draco believe him. "My godfather is in the Order. He promised to keep your mum safe."  
   
Once again Draco felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank you."   
Harry smiled softly. "I told you I could help. If you let me. He won't get your mum and he won't get you either. I'll make sure of that."   
The blond nodded and quickly looked away, before he could do something stupid. For a long time they just sat there, holding hands.   
   
"Draco?"   
The Slytherin looked at his companion and felt his stomach drop when he caught Harry's worried gaze. He felt a sudden burst of anxiety and realized with some surprise that it wasn't his own. It was coming from Harry.  
"What does he want you to do?"   
   
It was said so quietly that he almost didn't catch it. Draco bit his lip nervously. He had known that the question would come. That he would have to give up some information in exchange for the other boy's help. And really, what did he have to lose? He had already decided that he would stop trying to do the dark lord's bidding. 

Averting his eyes again he started explaining: "He set me two tasks. I think he doesn't expect me to succeed. He wants to watch me fail. As punishment for my father."   
   
Harry squeezed his hand encouragingly. "Usually this room is filled with mountains of junk. Books, trinkets… everything you can imagine. And.. there's also a vanishing cabinet. Similar to the one at Borgin and Burkes." He took a steadying breath, before continuing: "They're connected, usually. But the one here is broken. I… He wants me to fix it. So he and his death eaters … so they can use it. As passage into the school."  
   
Harry sucked in a shocked breath, but didn't let go of his hand. "And did you…?"   
"I tried, but I couldn't. I've spent hours in this room, working on that blasted thing." Draco admitted.   
"Okay. What was the other task?" the younger boy asked finally. 

Draco didn't dare to look at him. He knew this wouldn't go down well. "He told me to … kill Dumbledore."   
He was surprised when Harry didn't let go of his hand. Glancing up he found the Gryffindor staring at him. "The cursed necklace - that was you."

The blond shivered and forced himself to nod. He remembered seeing Katie Bell earlier today. Back from St. Mungo's. Coming face to face with the girl who had almost been killed by his actions had been a blow to the gut and the last straw for his already frayed nerves. It had been the reason for his break-down in the girls bathroom.  
   
"I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."   
He clamped his lips shut as soon as he'd said it. Knowing that it sounded like a stupid excuse.   
"No-one but Dumbledore, right? The necklace was meant for him?" Harry guessed.   
"Yes, but…" Draco started to say, only to fall silent again. 

For how could he explain to Harry that he'd never meant to hurt anyone? Not even Dumbledore. That it had been a foolish attempt to appease the dark lord and make it look like he was at least trying to fulfil his task?  
   
"You didn't think he'd fall for it." Harry muttered, looking at him in wonder. "You thought he would recognize that it was cursed and not touch it."   
The Slytherin was grateful beyond belief that Harry seemed to get it.   
"I don't want to kill." he whispered. 

Suddenly he was pulled forward and enveloped in another hug. "It's okay. Everything's going to be okay." Harry promised.   
And for once, Draco allowed himself to believe.  
 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I write a short chapter that ends with a cliffhanger and I get six (or was it seven?) reviews. And then I write a long chapter with no cliffhanger and I only get one. You do know what you're telling me with that, right?  
> This chapter isn't that long, but it doesn't have a cliffhanger either. I might not be so nice with the next one. And yes, that's my totally shameless way of begging for comments. So comment, please?

Harry stopped to take a deep, steadying breath, before approaching the portrait of the fat lady and giving her the password. He knew that his two best friends would be furious with him for disappearing for half of the day without a word. True to form he was accosted by Hermione as soon as he'd set foot into the common room.   
   
"Harry! Where have you been? We've been so worried!"   
"Yeah, you can't just run off and disappear like that, mate." Ron chimed in and Harry had to bite his lip to keep from mentioning that their worry about him at least made them talk to each other again.   
"Sorry. I was with Draco. It's… complicated."   
   
Of course Hermione didn't let him get away with that. "Is it the bond? Are there any new side effects? Did you see Madam Pomfrey?"   
The dark-haired boy flopped down in an armchair and held up his hands to stop her from firing off even more questions. "It's only… sort of the bond." 

"What do you…?" she started off again, only to stop when Ron grabbed her hand an pulled her down into a chair next to Harry.   
"Let him explain, Mione." the red-head scolded quietly, taking a seat as well.

Harry shot him a grateful smile. "You were right about the bond growing deeper. At DADA I … I felt that Draco was …. unwell. At first it was only a niggling feeling, but then it was suddenly crushing me. I knew that I had to find him. So I did."  
   
"And what happened when you found him?" Ron prodded surprisingly gently.   
Harry hesitated. He knew that Draco wouldn't want anyone to know about his break-down. And he didn't want to betray his trust. Especially now, when they were slowly starting to make some progress.   
"We talked. He confessed that he's a death eater."   
   
The shocked exclamations of his friends made him pause and he quickly shushed them. "He didn't want to take the mark, but Voldemort forced him. He's holding his mum hostage and threatening to kill her, if Draco's doesn't do what he's told." 

This appeased them a little, but Ron and Hermione both remained wary. Harry quickly told them about his earlier conversation with Sirius and finally confessed what Draco had been tasked to do.   
   
"And… he just told you? Just like that?" Ron asked in disbelief.   
"He asked me to help him. He doesn't want to hurt anyone. It's been killing him, working on that bloody cabinet." 

The red-head snorted. "Yeah, I bet."   
"Harry's right, Ron. You've seen how tired Malfoy looks all the time. I'm not trying to find excuses for him, but it must've been hard." Hermione pointed out, before turning to Harry again. "You need to tell someone, though. Sirius or better yet Dumbledore."  
   
"We went to see Dumbledore earlier. Draco told him everything." Harry shook his head, remembering the headmaster's calm smile. "He wasn't even surprised. He had known that Draco had been told to kill him all along." It had caught the blond off guard. When Dumbledore had assured him that he knew that Draco never really intended to hurt him, the Slytherin had almost cried again.  
   
"And what happens now?" Ron wanted to know.   
Harry shrugged. "Nothing, really. Dumbledore is probably going to get rid of the vanishing cabinet. Sirius and the others are going to take Draco's mum somewhere safe."   
"And you and Malfoy?"   
"I don't know. Guess we'll have to wait and see."   
   
Harry really hoped that Draco was finally done fighting him. He remembered holding Draco and offering comfort. Remembered how the blond had clung to him and how he'd thought that the Slytherin looked beautiful, even when he was crying. And he had to admit that Sirius was right. He did have a crush on Draco. Maybe it was even more than that.  
   
***  
   
When Draco awoke the next morning he felt tired and drained, despite having slept through the night for once, thanks to the dreamless sleep potion Dumbledore had given him. For a moment he contemplated skipping breakfast, afraid of facing the other Slytherins and, more importantly Harry, after everything that had happened. But he knew that he couldn't hide forever. It was probably better to get things over with quickly.  
   
When he finally crawled out of bed he was faced with an empty room. The others had already left and he felt a small pang at realizing that not even Crabbe and Goyle had waited for him. Trying to push his hurt feelings aside (With the way he'd been snapping at anyone recently it was really no wonder they avoided him.) he showered and got dressed, before heading to the Great Hall. 

There was a niggling, worried feeling at the back of his mind and only when it was replaced by relief, once he sat down at the Slytherin table, did he realize that it was coming from Harry. So he hadn't imagined it yesterday. The bond had tightened even more, allowing them glimpses into what the other was feeling. He wasn't so sure how he felt about that.  
   
Looking up he caught Harry's gaze across the hall. The Gryffindor gave him a tentative smile and Draco hesitated only briefly, before smiling back. Things had changed between them last night. And although Draco wasn't sure yet what it meant, he was willing to see where it would lead. He had nothing more to lose anyway. He startled when someone started piling food onto his plate.   
   
"You should eat, Draco. You missed lunch and dinner yesterday and you're already too skinny. It really isn't an attractive look, you know?"  
The blond smiled, glad for once about Pansy playing mother hen. 

"I wasn't feeling well." he explained, while obligingly picking up a piece of toast and meeting her eyes. The concern he saw there was unmistakable. "I'm sorry, Pans. I know I wasn't exactly a joy to be around lately." He didn't apologize often, but he knew that his best friend deserved it. Pansy was always there for him when he needed her. 

"You were a right bastard." she let him know.   
"I know. I just… had a lot going on. But… I'm working things out now."  
"Is it about Potter and the bond? Or is it… ?" she gestured discreetly at his left arm. 

Draco had told her that he'd been forced to become a death eater and set a task, but she didn't know any details.   
"A bit of both, actually. But like I said, I'm working things out. It'll be fine." At least he hoped it would.   
   
"Any progress on breaking the bond?" Pansy asked.   
"Still none. I don't think it can be broken, truth be told." 

Because if it could, someone would have found out by now. He knew that McGonagall and Flitwick had reached their wits end, even if they hadn't said anything so far. The way they kept glancing at him and Harry was telling enough. This bond was unlike any he'd ever heard of. And it was growing ever tighter.   
   
"I suppose you're not too unhappy about that."   
He flinched slightly, darting a quick glance around the table to make sure no-one was listening in on their conversation. Luckily everyone was otherwise occupied. 

"I'm not sure how to feel about it actually." he admitted, knowing that Pansy deserved to hear the truth. She was his closest confidant and the only one who knew about his crush on Harry Potter. While she could be a real bitch at times, he could always count on her to have his back and keep his secrets. A lot of people thought they were dating, when in reality Pansy was more like a sister to him.   
   
"I think he's not really unhappy about it either. He seems very concerned about you. And he can't seem to take his eyes off you."   
True to her words, when he looked over at the Gryffindor table again, he found Harry gazing at him.   
"He hasn't stopped staring since you sat down." Pansy claimed.   
   
Draco quickly looked away and prayed that he wasn't blushing. "We talked a little yesterday. He's probably thinking about that. Or it could just be the bond." he claimed.   
Pansy snorted. "Or maybe he's got a crush on you." 

That would be too good to be true. Draco didn't allow himself to hope. Things like that never happened to him. He probably didn't deserve it. So he simply shrugged.   
"Or it could be nothing." 

Pansy got the hint and dropped the subject. She told him what he'd missed yesterday and offered to let him borrow her notes.   
"That would be great. Thanks, Pansy." And he meant it. Especially with the way he'd treated her lately.   
   
They walked to their first class of the day together. Seeing Pansy at his side, and a smiling Pansy at that, Crabbe and Goyle fell into step behind them, boosting Draco's confidence. They were blundering idiots most of the time, but they were still his friends and having them avoid him had felt strange. He was used to their comforting presence, which made people think twice about attacking him. Maybe things were finally looking up after all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, begging obviously worked. Thanks to everyone for the sweet comments. They really made my day. And since I've felt very inspired, I already got the next part finished.

Harry was leaning against the wall opposite the Charms classroom, fidgeting nervously. For the hundredth time he wondered if this was such a good idea. But it was probably too late to back out now. Scratch that, it was definitely too late, because the bell signalled the end of the period, making him jump and his apprehension double. 

He forced himself to remain where he was, while he watched students filing out of the classroom, chattering among themselves as they headed towards the Great Hall for lunch break. A few of them gave him curious looks, but luckily most people in his year didn't take that whole Chosen One nonsense too seriously.  
   
Finally Draco emerged from the classroom and Harry had to trample down a sudden burst of jealousy when he saw Pansy Parkinson on his arm. This was stupid, he told himself. He couldn't expect the blond to break up with his girlfriend because someone had forced that stupid bond onto them. 

But he still couldn't quite keep the scowl off his face when the girl smiled at him smugly. Draco whispered something to her, before turning to Crabbe and Goyle, who had obviously started following him around again. The two boys nodded and followed Pansy, while Draco strolled over to where Harry was standing.  
   
"What are you doing here? I could feel your nervous energy through most of Charms. It was quite distracting."   
Harry flushed and looked away guiltily. "Sorry. I didn't know it would affect you."   
The blond didn't answer. When Harry looked at him again, he found him eyeing the basket at his feet curiously.   
   
"I had a free period. And I thought… well, I haven't seen you at lunch in a while. So I thought maybe you didn't like eating in the Great Hall and … I went to the kitchens and … asked the elves for some food. I thought maybe you'd… maybe we could have lunch. In the room of requirement. If.... if you'd like." 

God, he hated the fact that he started babbling when he was nervous. And Malfoy looking so cool and collected didn't exactly help matters. He thought he preferred the insecure Malfoy from yesterday. Maybe without the crying bit.  
   
And now Malfoy was giving him a weird look that he couldn't interpret. Had he done something wrong? For a moment Harry feared that the blond would go back to ignoring him now, no matter what had happened yesterday. But then a shy smile replaced the strange look. 

"I don't really mind the Great Hall. But I also wouldn't mind some privacy."   
The Gryffindor breathed a sigh of relief and grinned. "Great. Come on then." 

He led the way to the 7th floor corridor and paced in front of the wall until the door appeared. The room was smaller this time, with squashy armchairs and a low table, a small couch and a mountain of cushions in front of the fireplace. Harry wasn't really surprised when Draco settled down on the cushions.  
   
He took a seat next to the blond and unpacked the basket. The elves had provided them with different sandwiches and an array of sweets. He was glad to see Draco eating without hesitation. The Slytherin had gotten way too skinny lately. A snort from said Slytherin made him realize that he'd voiced the thought aloud. 

"You sound like Pansy." Draco complained with an eye-roll.   
"Should I feel honoured or offended that you compare me to your girlfriend?"   
The blond paused for a second, before muttering: "Best friend."   
"Huh?"   
Another eye-roll. "Pansy isn't my girlfriend. She's my best friend. And you should feel honoured."  
   
Harry grinned and tried not to analyse the giddy feeling those words brought too closely. So what if she wasn't Draco's girlfriend? Didn't have to mean anything, right? He shouldn't even want it to mean anything. It was all Sirius fault, for making him realize that he actually did have a crush on the blond. Or it was probably the bond. Yes, that was it. Just the bond.  
   
They finished their lunch in silence, with Harry trying not to stare at Draco too openly and failing miserably. The blond looked better today. He wasn't quite as pale and the dark circles beneath his eyes were less prominent. The sleep potion Dumbledore had given him had obviously helped. And he'd already eaten two decent meals today. Now Harry just had to make sure that he kept this up.   
   
"Are you okay? You know, after yesterday."   
The words had escaped him without thought. And he instantly felt bad for asking when Draco stiffened slightly. The blond took a long time to answer and when he did, he kept his eyes fixed on the floor, his hand absently covering his arm, where Harry now knew the dark mark was hidden.   
"I don't know if I'll ever be okay again. But I'm better."  
   
The honest answer surprised Harry.   
"Of course you'll be okay."   
He scooted closer, reached for the Slytherins hand and felt hurt when Draco pulled away.   
"We should get going. Break is almost over and we don't want to be late for Potions."   
   
Harry sighed in resignation. They didn't talk as they left the room and headed down to the dungeons. The younger boy had no idea what to make of Draco's behaviour. One minute the blond was completely open with him, only to pull away and become distant in the next. It was confusing as hell and had him feeling off-balance. 

He had no idea what to do. The bond and those little snippets of feeling he got from Draco didn't make it any easier. Remembering how it had felt to hold the blond he couldn't help but wonder if it was simply the bond demanding physical contact or if the desire to touch Draco was all himself.   
   
It probably didn't matter either way, since Draco very obviously didn't want Harry to touch him. That hurt more than he'd liked to admit and the fact that he completely ruined his potion, since his thoughts were too occupied with the infuriating blond next to him, didn't exactly do much for his dark mood either. 

By the time dinner rolled around, Harry was glaring at anyone who so much as dared to look at him. Hermione seemed worried, but was smart enough to leave him alone. The other Gryffindors followed her example and gave him a wide berth, which was just fine with Harry.  
   
His mood hadn't improved when he met up with Draco in the kitchens later for their daily study session. The blond kept sneaking glances at him, but Harry didn't feel like getting into a discussion and pretended to concentrate very hard on his homework. Draco obviously got the hint and said nothing. They worked side by side in silence for a while, until the Gryffindor could stand it no longer and started packing his things. He muttered a short "Goodnight." in Draco's direction and then left the kitchens without sparing the Slytherin another glance.  
   
***  
   
When he entered the Gryffindor common room he found Hermione engaged in conversation with Cormack McLaggen of all people. Ron was glaring at them from across the room, while Lavender tried in vain to get his attention. It looked like she was getting increasingly frustrated by the red-head's lack of response. Harry had no desire to get involved in their drama. He had enough trouble of his own. So he quietly snuck upstairs and got ready for bed, despite the relatively early hour.   
   
He was still wide awake long after his dorm mates had gone to bed as well and Ron's snores echoed through the room, interspersed with some muttering from Neville. In fact, Harry spent most of the night tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. When he finally slipped into a fitful slumber, it was disrupted by nightmares of Voldemort chasing him and Draco through the forbidden forest. Harry awoke bleary eyed and grumpy.  
   
He kept his head down at breakfast, refusing to look over at the Slytherin table and completely ignoring the chatter around him. He could feel anxiousness coming from Draco, but he felt too tired and miserable to try and talk to him about it. 

The lessons of the day dragged on, starting with DADA, where he somehow managed to insult Snape – again - and land himself in detention - again. Followed by Charms, where he accidentally sent a table flying at Seamus, because he couldn't concentrate properly. Luckily the Irishman managed to duck at the last second.   
   
When he sat down next to Draco for their shared Transfiguration class, Harry's mood had hit a new low. The fact that the blond kept fidgeting next to him and the waves of anxiety still coming from him, nearly suffocating Harry, did little to improve this. 

"Sit still, damn it!" he snapped at the Slytherin, who flinched like he'd been slapped.   
For a second he seemed about to snap back, but then he simply turned away from Harry's glare and sat rigidly, staring down at the table.  
   
Then McGonagall entered the classroom and the younger boy forced himself to pay attention to her explanations. He jumped when Draco's knee bumped his under the table. As much as he hated to admit it, the contact felt comforting and he felt some of his tension slowly drain away. Draco seemed to feel it too, because he stopped fidgeting. They sat with their knees pressed together for the whole lesson.   
   
When the bell signalled lunch break Harry quickly packed up his things, but Draco held him back before he could leave the classroom.   
"Have you… heard from your godfather yet?"   
   
And suddenly Harry felt like the worlds biggest asshole. Because of course Draco would be anxious. Today was Friday. The day the Order would attempt to rescue his mother. And instead of offering comfort and assuring him it would all be fine, Harry had snapped at him. He mentally kicked himself for not realizing the cause of Draco's distress.   
"No, I haven't. But I've got a free period right after lunch. I'll contact him then, okay?"   
   
Draco nodded. "Okay and … let me know when you have news, yeah?"   
"I will." Harry promised.   
And then, following an odd impulse, he pulled the blond into a quick hug. "It'll be okay. You'll see." Draco stiffened at first, but then he melted against Harry for a moment.   
   
The sound of someone clearing their throat made them jump apart. McGonagall was watching them with an amused, slightly calculating look.   
"You should hurry up, before you miss lunch." 

They both murmured: "Yes, professor." and hurried out of the room together. Harry's face felt hot and he was relieved to see Draco blushing as well. He'd completely forgotten that they weren't alone when he'd hugged the other boy. At least the rest of the class had already left by then.  
   
They parted ways in the Great Hall, heading for their respective tables among quite a few whispers and stares. Of course everyone at Hogwarts knew about their forced bonding. The news had travelled fast. Harry was actually surprised that the Daily Prophet hadn't gotten wind of it yet. 

At first there had been quite a few comments directed his way and the whispering behind his back, already bad thanks to his new reputation as the Chosen One, had gotten louder and more frequent. By now it was old news and most of the speculation had died down somewhat, but whenever they were seen together it still caused a bit of a stir.  
   
Harry took a seat next to Ron, who'd obviously had a row with Lavender, because she was sitting a few seats away and very pointedly not looking in his direction.   
"All right there, mate?" the red-head asked around a mouthful of food.   
"Yeah, fine. Sorry I was in such a foul mood earlier." Harry apologized.   
Ron just shrugged. "No problem. You've got a lot going on."   
   
Harry sighed in relief, once again glad to have such a forgiving best friend. He knew that Hermione wouldn't hold a grudge either and vowed to apologize to her as well when he saw her later. She was suspiciously absent at the moment. Probably stuck in the library again. She spent an awful lot of time there. Even more so since Ron had started dating Lavender.   
   
After a hurried lunch Harry and Ron went up to their dorm and Harry used the mirror to contact Sirius, hoping with all his might that everything had gone according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does that count as a cliffhanger? Not really, right?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for the lovely comments. And sorry for the cliffhanger in the last chapter (yes, okay it was a cliffhanger).

Sirius answered immediately and greeted Harry with a cheerful smile.   
"Prongslet! I've been expecting your call. Don't worry, your boyfriend's mum is fine."   
Harry rolled his eyes at the notion that Draco was his boyfriend, but ignored the comment for now. "So everything went well?" he checked instead, just to be sure.   
   
"It all went perfectly." Sirius assured. "Kingsley arrested my dear cousin Bellatrix. After I've accidentally hit her with a stinging hex, that is. She's probably on her way back to Azkaban as we speak. After some consideration Moony and I took Narcissa to Grimmauld Place with us. She's reconciling with Andromeda right now. And Kingsley promised to send a team of Aurors round to Malfoy Manor. Maybe we're lucky and they can catch a few more death eaters."  
   
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great. Thank you, Sirius."   
The animagus grinned. "Anytime, Prongslet. I've got to go now, but maybe you could call again later today? Preferably with your boyfriend, if possible. Narcissa wants to talk to him and she's insufferable when she doesn't get her way." 

"Draco's not my boyfriend." Harry felt the need to clarify, although he was sure it wouldn't do much good. "We'll call before dinner, okay?"   
"Whatever you say, prongslet. And before dinner sounds fine. See you later then."  
   
After ending the call Harry went down to the common room and played a game of wizards chess with Ron. He was in the middle of losing spectacularly (as always) when he saw Hermione enter through the portrait hole.   
"Be right back."   
   
He quickly went over to intercept her before she could disappear towards the girls dormitories. "Hermione, wait."   
She turned to look at him with a frown.   
"Sorry for being a dick earlier." That comment earned him a small smile.   
"It's alright, Harry. I suppose you've got a lot on your mind at the moment."   
"I do. But I shouldn't take it out on my friends."   
   
She shrugged, but he could see that she agreed.   
"There's something else. You've got Arithmancy later, right? And Draco's in your class?" he asked, hoping she would know that he hadn't only apologized so he could ask her for a favour. She knew him better than that, right? 

Obviously she did, because she simply nodded and motioned for him to continue. "Could you tell him that his mum is safe and ask him to meet me at the room of requirement before dinner?"   
   
"Of course. So everything went well?"   
Harry nodded. "Yeah, Sirius took her to Grimmauld Place and the Aurors caught Bellatrix."   
"Well, that's good news." Hermione said with a smile. He could only agree.   
   
"And how are things going with you and Malfoy?"   
Harry shrugged, not sure how much to tell her. Or what to tell her at all. "We're getting along better than I thought we would."   
He didn't like the way she smiled at that. "Yes, I figured. Since he's suddenly Draco and no longer Malfoy."   
   
Now that she mentioned it, he noticed his slip. He'd called the blond Draco without thinking. And now that he thought about it, it hadn't been the first time either.   
"I guess your perspective of him is changing, now that you're spending time together and actually getting to know each other."   
"Yeah, maybe." 

But he had no idea whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Hermione gave him another smile and excused herself and Harry went back to his game with Ron.  
   
***  
   
When Harry arrived at the room of requirement a while later, there was already a door visible, standing slightly ajar. He cautiously pushed it open further and glanced inside to find the room from yesterday's lunch break. Draco was once again sitting in front of the fireplace. He looked up hopefully when Harry entered. 

"Mother is safe?" he checked.   
"Yes, she is. And the Aurors arrested Bellatrix." the younger boy assured, taking a seat next to him. Then he pulled the mirror out of his bag.   
"Is that a two-way-mirror?"   
"Yeah. My godfather has the other one. Hold on."   
   
Once again Sirius answered immediately. "Prongslet. Is your boyfriend with you?"   
Harry rolled his eyes. "He's not… oh, never mind. Draco's right here."   
The words had barely left his mouth when the mirror was ripped away from Sirius and Narcissa's pale face appeared.   
   
"Draco? Are you there, darling?"   
"Mother…"   
Harry quickly handed the mirror over and felt Draco's relief wash over him. "Are you okay, mother?" 

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, sweetheart. My cousin has been kind enough to grant me refuge." she assured and Harry was surprised by the warmth he could hear in her voice. He had only seen her that one time at the Quidditch world cup and she had appeared cold and distant to him. But there was no mistaking that she loved Draco very much.   
   
"And what about you, darling? Sirius told me that you sought help from the Order."   
"I did. I just.. I couldn't do what he told me to. And now that you're safe, I don't have to." Draco whispered, rubbing his left arm unconsciously.   
Harry wondered if the mark still hurt and had to fight the urge to pull the blond into his arms again.   
   
"Sirius also told me that you managed to get yourself bonded to Mr. Potter." Narcissa continued, her voice taking on a slightly mischievous tone.   
Draco blushed. "Someone obviously intended to bind us together. And succeeded. The professors are looking for a way to break the bond." He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn't dare with other people listening.   
   
Narcissa seemed to sense this. "I hope that we can talk privately soon. But I don't want to keep you too long now. It must be almost dinnertime. I just wanted to see for myself that you are alright."   
"I'm fine, mother." 

They said their goodbyes and Draco passed the mirror back to Harry, who spent a few minutes talking to Sirius. The animagus had heard nothing from the Aurors yet, but promised to let him know when there were news.   
   
Harry put the mirror back into his bag and he and Draco sat in silence for a few moments.   
"You can borrow the mirror if you want. To talk to your mum, you know. I'm sure Sirius wouldn't mind her using his."   
The blond looked surprised by the offer. "That's… thank you."   
   
He was giving Harry that strange look again. The one that made him nervous, because he had no idea how to interpret it.   
"Don't mention it. I'll just clear it up with Sirius." 

"I mean it. Thank you. And .. not just for… this. You probably don't even realize it, but you saved my life. And mother's."   
Harry had no idea how to reply. "Well, I'm the Chosen One. Apparently it's my job." he joked weakly and was surprised when Draco actually smiled.   
   
He looked good when he smiled, Harry decided. More human and approachable and … really kind of beautiful. He scooted closer to the blond without thinking. Only to have Draco pull away yet again. 

"We should head down to dinner."   
The Gryffindor stifled a frustrated growl. "You're right. Let's go." 

From the looks of it he would just have to get used to the fact that touching Draco was out of the question. No matter how approachable the Slytherin seemed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks to everyone for all the lovely comments. I only managed a short update this time, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. 
> 
> Also a lot of people were speculating on why Draco won't let Harry touch him. Don't worry, the reason isn't anything bad. (Just in case you were thinking of a trauma or something.) I tried to explain it in this chapter. From Draco's perspective in just a few words. Still hope that clears things up.

The next week brought a welcome surprise for once. The Aurors had encountered four death eaters at Malfoy Manor. And one of them had been Peter Pettigrew. After being questioned by Kingsley Shacklebolt and head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour for the better part of a day, he had finally admitted his part in the deaths of James and Lily Potter and proven Sirius innocence. 

His name now cleared, Sirius no longer had to hide and was even able to reclaim his title as head of the house of Black. The Daily Prophet printed a large article on Monday, which made Harry grin through the whole day.  
   
Sirius still decided to stay at Grimmauld Place for the time being, since it was the headquarters of the Order and it was just easier for now. According to him, Narcissa and Andromeda had tasked themselves (and everyone who wasn't able to run away fast enough) with making the house habitable again. They were also working on the sticking charm on his mother's portrait.  
   
So at least some things were definitely looking up, even if most of his life was still a mess, the bond was still in place and Draco was still acting hot and cold towards him, being nice and approachable only to pick a fight a few hours later.  
   
***  
   
Draco flopped down on the couch with a sigh, glad that the Slytherin common room was mostly deserted this late. Seconds later Pansy was there, curling against his side.   
"How did your date with Potter go?" 

He scowled and shoved her, but as always she wouldn't budge.   
"It wasn't a date. I already told you. We study together. Because of the bond. Usually we don't even talk." 

She made a tsking sound. "How can you expect to get anywhere with him when you don't even make an effort? Have you at least tried to be nice? Complimented him, maybe?"   
"On what? His horrible hair? Or maybe his sucky Potions skills?"   
The sarcastic comment earned him a jab in the ribs. He really should know better by now.   
   
"Don't take that tone with me." Pansy warned and the blond mumbled an apology.   
"He'd probably think I was taking the piss if I started complimenting him."   
"Hmm, true enough, I guess. But you were nice, right? You didn't insult him, at least." she continued to prod.   
"Yes, I was nice. I even helped him with his Potions homework. And I didn't insult him. Well, not much. I might have mentioned that he's crap at Potions. But that's the truth."   
   
She snorted at that and he almost told her how un-ladylike that was, but thought better of it. Pansy had no qualms about using her sharp nails when she felt insulted. Even against him. 

"You should pick a more romantic setting than the kitchens for your next date."   
"I already told you, they're not dates." he grumbled.   
"But they could be. Really, darling. You've been infatuated with Potter since fourth year and you finally have the chance to do something about it. So use it."   
   
The way she put it, it sounded so easy. It was anything but easy. This bond had been forced onto them and he had no idea how Potter felt about the whole thing. What if he made a fool of himself? What if Potter told his little friends that Draco had hit on him? Weasley would never let him live it down. And Draco wouldn't be able to take that kind of humiliation.

And there was also the fact that they'd been enemies practically since the day they met. How did one overcome five years of mutual hatred? Okay, it had never really been hatred on Draco's part. At first he'd been hurt by Potter's rejection and his natural instinct had been to lash out. And then somewhere along the line it had become more like pigtail-pulling. But he doubted the dark-haired boy would see it the same way.

So the safest option, the only option in his opinion, was to keep as much distance to Potter as possible. No matter how hard it was to keep pushing him away. He'd already let the other boy get way too close.   
   
Of course Pansy wanted to hear none of that. "Nonsense, Draco. He's just as obsessed with you as you are with him. He's always staring at you and he's been doing that long before this bond-thing came along. And he helped you and your mother. You said he already knew about…" She gestured to his arm, where the dark mark was hidden underneath his robes and he couldn't help but rub the spot unconsciously. "And he didn't seem to mind. He still offered his help."  
   
"Because that's just what he does. I bet it's in his hero job description. Help everyone in need, even if it's your evil Slytherin arch…. Ow! Stop that!" She had actually whacked him over the head. So much for supportive best friend. A few third years, who were sitting huddled in a corner, glanced over. Draco glared at them until they looked away again.   
   
"I'll stop hitting you, if you stop being stupid. Boys!" Pansy rolled her eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh. "Now, as I was saying, he helped you, although he knew you've technically been working for his enemy. Even after you've told him what you've been ordered to do. And you told him before you told me, which says a lot about trust." Here she glared at him and he flinched slightly, almost expecting to be hit again.   
   
"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't tell you, because I didn't want to bother you with my problems and make you my accomplice on top of that. And I only told Potter, because he'd already promised to help. I knew he'd expect something in return." 

And it had been good to get it off his chest. To finally share his burden with someone. But he didn't say that aloud. No need to aggravate Pansy even more. Especially since his words seemed to have mollified her somewhat.  
   
"Apology accepted. But next time something's bothering you, I want to be the first one to know. And I want a detailed report about any progress you're making with Potter."   
Arguing with her seemed futile, so he only nodded. 

"Good. Then back to the matter at hand. Where was I? Oh, yes. Why I believe that Potter very obviously likes you. Well, all this helping aside, he didn't kick up much of a fuss about this bond, did he? And we all know he's usually very vocal about anything that pisses him off. Just remember how often he got into it with Umbridge last year. And the lunch date?"  
   
"That wasn't a date. He just wanted to talk without fear of being overheard. And…"   
"And he packed lunch. He's worried you're not eating properly. And did you see how he glared at me when he saw us together? He looked like he wanted to rip my head off. Totally jealous, I'm telling you."  
   
He didn't know what to say to that. Had Potter really glared at Pansy? He hadn't noticed. Even if he had, that didn't have to mean anything. And really, wasn't Potter supposed to be the brave one? Gryffindor courage and all that? So if Pansy was right (which he very much doubted) and Potter really did have feelings for him, why couldn't he just wait for Potter to make the first move?  
   
"Because he's completely dense and probably still hasn't realized that he wants you." Pansy reasoned, when he mentioned this. "And you're a sneaky Slytherin. We go after what we want, remember? I don't expect you to declare your undying love for him or some shit like that. But if you really want him, you should do something about it. Start flirting. Ramp it up. Encourage him to make a move."   
   
And okay, that could actually work. What did he have to lose anyway?   
"Say you'll give it a try." Pansy demanded.   
"Alright, I'll try. But if it backfires, I'm blaming you."   
She didn't seem concerned. She even grinned at him. "Don't worry. You'll be thanking me, darling."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks to everyone who left a comment. They really make my day.

Harry raked a hand through his hair, pulling on the ends in frustration, as he headed for Gryffindor tower. Draco was driving him completely mad. He'd finally resigned himself to keeping a certain distance to the blond and reducing physical contact to the barest minimum. 

And almost as if he'd sensed this, Draco had now started touching him all the time. Only small, casual touches, like brushing his hand against Harry's when they worked together in Potions or tapping his shoulder to gain his attention. But it was still enough to throw him completely. He had no idea if the Slytherin was doing it on purpose, or if it was only the bond making him do it.   
   
The bond, which hadn't grown much tighter during the last few days, but which also seemed pretty much permanent by now. McGonagall had reluctantly admitted a few days ago that they were no nearer to finding the bonding spell used on Harry and Draco. She hadn't said it, but it had been clear that the teachers were about ready to stop searching. There was no chance of breaking this bond.   
   
And Draco had taken the news completely in stride. Simply inclined his head and thanked McGonagall for informing them. No temper tantrum, no blaming Harry, nothing. It was almost creepy. 

Instead he had suggested meeting in the room of requirement to study from now on, instead of the kitchens or the library. They usually wished for the cosy room with the fireplace and mounds of cushions and Draco always sat too close to him by the fire. Harry had no idea what to make of this new change in the blond's behaviour.  
   
And to top it off Draco was being weirdly nice to him lately. Of course there was the occasional snide comment about his hair or his lack of Potions skills, but it sounded more affectionate than mean now and usually led to them bickering, which was actually kind of fun. 

He had even complimented Harry on his spectacular catch of the Snitch in Gryffindor's match against Hufflepuff last weekend. Harry had stammered a surprised "Thank you." and been left wondering whether the blond had really meant it or only been pulling his leg. He never knew with Draco. Maybe the Slytherin was really finally coming around. Or maybe he was just trying to drive Harry completely nuts. Both scenarios were equally possible.  
   
He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the portrait of the fat lady swinging open, until a wailing Lavender came barrelling towards him and nearly knocked him over. Harry grabbed the wall for support and shook his head in disbelief when the girl didn't even pause, but instead ran down the corridor and out of sight. He took another step towards the portrait hole and managed to jump out of the way just in time to avoid being run over by Parvati, who was quickly rushing after her friend.   
   
More than a little annoyed (and cautious of anyone else intent on knocking him on his ass) he finally entered the common room, only to stop dead in his tracks and look around with a frown. It looked like there had been a brawl. A few boys were busy righting some chairs, which had fallen over, while another scrubbed at a spot on the floor that looked suspiciously like blood. Harry spied Hermione standing awkwardly in a corner, her face very red. He followed her cautious gaze to another corner, where Ron was sitting, nursing a split lip and looking sheepish.  
   
Not wanting to get into the middle of anything, at least not without knowing what was going on, Harry turned to Dean and Seamus. "What did I miss here?"   
The Irishman grinned widely. "A bloody good show, mate." 

Harry turned his gaze to Dean, who was more likely to provide a real answer. "Well, it all started when McLaggen got handsy with Hermione."   
"What do you mean, handsy?"   
"He tried to stick his hand under her skirt." Dean explained. "She got angry and hit him with a book."  
"But he didn't get the message. Because then he tried to grab her tits." Seamus added.  
   
"And what did she do then?" Harry asked, more than a little horrified.  
"Shrieked in indignation, mostly."  
"And that's when Ron stepped in." Dean said with a slight smile.  
   
"Calling that stepping in is like calling Quidditch just a game, mate. He lunged at McLaggen and started beating the crap out of him, cursing a blue streak." Seamus' grin got even wider. "I've never seen Ron that mad. It was bloody impressive. McLaggen had no chance to defend himself."

"Looks like he did manage to get a punch in." Harry mused, casting another look at Ron, who was still dabbing at his split lip and wincing, until Ginny slapped his hand away.  
   
"Nah, that wasn't McLaggen. He was just sort of lying there, while Ron pummelled him." Seamus said with a shrug.  
"When it didn't look like he'd stop anytime soon, we decided to do the responsible thing and pull him off." Dean took over again. "Held Ron back, while Neville helped McLaggen up and dragged him off to Pomfrey."  
"And that's where Lavender comes in." Seamus announced gleefully.  
   
"She started yelling at Ron. And since he was still furious, he yelled right back." Dean explained.  
Harry almost didn't dare to ask. "And then?"  
"Then she yelled something about Ron never defending her honour. And Ron… well he yelled back that there was nothing to defend."

Harry winced. That couldn't have gotten over well.  
"And then she punched him in the face." Seamus announced with a nearly manic grin, proving him right. "She's got an impressive punch, for such a tiny lass."  
   
Deciding not to comment on that, Harry thanked them and went over to Ron, who was looking rather dejected now. Harry suspected it had something to do with the fact that Hermione had disappeared from the common room. Or maybe it was because Ginny was making fun of his misery.

"So… I guess you broke up with Lavender, huh?"  
Ginny giggled, while Ron gave him a dark look. "If you're not going to be sympathetic, you can piss right off."  
   
"Sorry." Harry mumbled, stifling his grin. "But look on the bright side - you're rid of her now. When you weren't snogging, she was annoying the hell out of you. You said so yourself." he pointed out.

"Well, I'm glad it's over, but… it would've been nicer to end it quietly." the red-head grumbled. "And without getting punched."  
   
"You should be used to girls punching you. I do it all the time." Ginny chimed in.  
"Not helping, Gin." Harry admonished.  
"I'm just saying…" She grinned and stuck her tongue out at them, before joining Seamus and Dean on the couch. Probably to laugh some more about Ron.  
   
Harry and Ron sat together in silence for a while.   
"Are you going to ask Hermione out now?" the dark-haired boy finally asked. When Ron started to protest, he cut him off. "Oh come on, everyone knows that you fancy her, after that little stunt just now."  
   
The red-head seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Do you think she'd say yes?"  
"Of course she'll say yes. She's been waiting for you to ask her out since the Yule Ball in fourth year." Harry pointed out.

"Really? But… McLaggen…"  
"She only flirted with that oaf to make you jealous." Even Harry had noticed and that was really saying something.  
   
The news seemed to cheer Ron up. "You're sure?"  
"Yes, I'm sure. She doesn't even like him."  
"Okay then. I'll ask her out to Hogsmeade next weekend." the red-head decided. "If that's okay with you, that is."  
   
They usually went to Hogsmeade together, but Harry really wanted his two best friends to finally get their shit together. He'd survive one trip without them. "Yeah, don't worry. Maybe I'll go with Draco." he mused and inwardly cursed himself when Ron's smile turned into a frown.

"You're getting awfully cosy with Malfoy lately."  
"Yes, well… I'm bonded to him. So we've got to spend time together." Harry said with a shrug. Talking about relationships was so much more fun when it didn't concern his own. And he didn't know if he could even call that thing with Malfoy a relationship.  
   
"You started calling him Draco." Ron pointed out.   
Yes, he had. He'd been slipping more and more often lately. Surprisingly enough, the blond didn't seem to mind, though he had yet to start calling him Harry instead of Potter.   
"He's … not so bad, actually." he admitted.

The red-head looked almost pained. "Ginny thinks you're not really unhappy about the bond. She says you fancy him."  
 "Well, I… I'm not really sure what to think about the bond, truth be told. I don't know where I stand with him. But… I think I'd like to give it a go." 

A few more conversations with Sirius and some serious thinking (no pun intended) had led him to realize that he really did have more than just a little crush on Draco. The blond had been a constant in his life since their first day at Hogwarts, even if they'd mostly been fighting or at least trying to rile each other up. 

Sirius had grinned and called it foreplay. Bloody idiot. If only his godfather could be helpful for once and tell him what to do about his revelation. Not that he hadn't given Harry plenty of advice, mind you. Just nothing helpful. Because he didn't think that simply grabbing the blond, shoving him up against a wall and snogging him senseless would go over too well.  
   
Ron startled him out of his thoughts by awkwardly patting his shoulder. "Alright, mate. I don't know why it has to be Malfoy of all people, but if you want to go for him, I'll support you." he promised. 

And Harry felt so relieved by his acceptance that he pulled him into a hug, only pulling back when Ginny yelled that she would tell Malfoy he was cheating on him with Ron. Harry flung a cushion her way, but misjudged and hit Lavender instead, who had chosen that moment to make a reappearance. She glared at him, but the effect was slightly ruined by the fact that her mascara had run, making her look like a psychotic raccoon. He still yelled: "Sorry." and flinched when Parvati turned to glare at him as well. Having her glaring at him always reminded him of the disastrous Yule Ball.   
   
The two girls stalked up to their dormitory without a word and Harry turned back to Ron. They shared a look and burst out laughing, which probably did nothing to appease Parvati and Lavender. Ginny shook her head and told them they were hopeless, but there was a smile tugging on her lips as well.  
 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments. As requested there's more Drarry in this chapter. Well, at least a bit more.

"It's not working, Pans."  
Pansy looked up from her essay when her best friend sat down heavily next to her. She rolled her eyes at his whiny tone. He was such a drama queen. And so lucky to have her. Setting down her quill she focused her attention on him. "You're back early from your date."  
   
Draco scowled at her. "It wasn't a date. We studied together, like always." His scowl deepened. "Only that tonight Potter insisted on studying in the library. And Weasley was there. Sitting at a table with us."  
Pansy had the audacity to laugh at him. And why was he even friends with her? She was a horrible friend.   
   
"Stop pouting, darling. So Weasley was there. Maybe that's even progress."  
"How is that progress?" the blond grumbled.  
"Well, Weasley is his best friend. Merlin knows why. But I'd say the fact that he made you study with his best friend shows that he's starting to trust you. It's a little like meeting the family, isn't it?" she mused.   
   
Okay, put like that it sounded almost logic.   
"I hope you behaved well? Insulting the weasel won't get you any points with Potter."  
"Yes, thank you Pansy. I already knew that. And I've been very polite." 

He hadn't said a word about Weasley's old, worn robes or his many siblings. He hadn't even snapped at the red-head when he'd stared at Draco the whole time. Lucius would be so very disappointed with him.   
   
He shook that thought off quickly. His father was still rotting in a cell in Azkaban. And if he was honest with himself, he felt that it served him right, for all the bad choices he'd made for himself and his family. Lucius had gotten them into this mess. Draco was making his own choices now, no matter if his father liked it or not. 

And at least mother approved of his bond with Potter. "He's a nice young man." she'd said, when they had talked via the two-way-mirror on Sunday, "and I'm happy as long as you are happy, darling."  
   
"So you studied and then?" Pansy shook him from his thoughts.  
"Nothing. When the library closed, Potter said goodnight and left with the Weasel."  
"Hmm… maybe you need to step up the game." she mused, looking speculative, which never boded well. "Oh, I know. There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. Ask him to go with you."   
   
"No. He's going with the Weasel and Granger. He always does." Draco protested.  
"Not this time. Weasley and Granger are going together. As a date. He'd only be the fifth wheel, so you're doing him a favour."

"I thought Weasley was dating that awful giggly Gryffindor."   
Harry kept complaining about them snogging all the time and Draco had seen them himself. They weren't exactly shy about it.  
   
"Get with the programme, Draco. They broke up two days ago." Pansy claimed.  
"How do you know that?"  
"Daphne told me. She overheard Patil telling her twin. It was obviously a very nasty, very public break-up. And Granger was the cause for it. Patil went on a rant about Weasley asking Granger out to Hogsmeade only a day later."  
   
Ah, Daphne Greengrass. Slytherin's gossip queen. She and Pansy were a truly frightening combination.   
"Potter wouldn't want to intrude on his friends. So it's the perfect opportunity for you to ask him out." Pansy reasoned. 

Draco knew from experience that arguing with his best friend was a losing battle, so he simply agreed and nodded along with her suggestions on how best to ask Potter out.   
   
"And tell me, have you finally started calling him by his first name?"  
Ah, so now she was on about that again. She'd been harping about it for two days in a row already.  
"No, I haven't."  
"Draco! Names are important. If you don't start using his…"  
   
"… he'll never understand that I see him differently now." Draco finished for her. "Yes, I know. You've only said it about a thousand times."  
"I obviously have to say it again, since you're not listening."  
"It's not that easy, okay? I feel weird just calling him Harry out of the blue."  
   
"He started calling you Draco." Pansy pointed out.   
And yes, he had indeed. The first time Draco had thought it was merely a slip. But then Potter had started using his first name frequently. And it felt so natural. Draco thought it should feel just as natural to call Potter Harry instead. And until it did he wouldn't force himself to say it.

"I'll call him Harry when I ask him out." he decided and Pansy nodded her acceptance. Now he only had to screw up the courage to actually go through with it.  
   
***  
   
"So… I heard Weasley asked Granger out on a date to Hogsmeade."   
Draco nearly winced at his own choice of words. Really smooth. At least they were studying in the kitchens this time, instead of the library, because Harry had insisted on some hot chocolate.   
The Gryffindor gave him a surprised look. "Who told you that?"  
"Uh… Pansy and Daphne were gossiping about it."  
   
Potter chuckled. "Wow, word gets around fast. Yeah, Ron finally asked her out. About time, if you ask me. Their drama has been driving me nuts." he admitted. "Though I'm not really sure it's a date. Ron said he asked Hermione to go to Hogsmeade with him and she said yes, but… she could just think they'd go as friends or something. I haven't really talked to her about it. She's been holed up in the library for the past two days. Probably avoiding Lavender and McLaggen, I think."  
   
Draco had no idea why Granger would need to avoid those two people - although wasn't Lavender the girl who'd been snogging Weasley? He still decided not to comment on that and simply nodded. Now that Potter had confirmed Pansy's words, Draco should really ask him out. It would be the perfect opportunity. But he had no idea what to say, so he simply dropped his eyes back to his book.   
   
"So, umm… Hogsmeade…" 

Draco looked up at Potter's words. The other boy seemed nervous all of a sudden. "I thought we could.. umm… go together? Only if you want, that is. I don't know if you've got plans already or…"

Giddy relief spread through Draco. "No. I mean, yes. I mean I … I'd like that. And I don't have plans yet." 

Shit, was Potter's lack of eloquence contagious? He usually didn't stumble over his words like that. But the smile Potter gave him made up for his mortification and Draco couldn't help but smile back.   
"Good. Yeah, that's… okay then."  
   
They both looked down on their books again, still smiling. Until a thought occurred to Draco. What if Harry had only asked him, because he felt compelled to do it? Because Draco had brought up the matter of Hogsmeade and his friend's date? Or what if he didn't even think of this as a date? Shit, what if he'd already made plans with other people and only wanted to include the Slytherin in that? He might be forced to spend the trip with a bunch of Gryffindors.   
   
He was so absorbed in thought that he didn't notice Potter making a grab for his hand just as he pulled it back. He didn't see the scowl on the other boy's face and jumped in shock when Potter suddenly closed his book with a bang and got up.   
"I'm tired. I'm heading to bed. G'night."

Draco looked up in surprise and just managed to utter a quiet: "Goodnight." in the direction of Potter's retreating back, before the younger boy was gone. Puzzled he looked back down at his own book, wondering what had gone wrong now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, but I just couldn't make it that easy on them. But things will get better soon, I promise. The story is getting close to being finished. There will be only about two or three more chapters, I think.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks for all the positive feedback.   
> Just a short chapter today, but I think you're going to like it. And I'm fairly sure now that there will be only two more chapters after this. I'll reveal who is behind the bond in the last chapter. Anyone want to make a guess?

Harry marched up to Gryffindor tower and went straight to bed, not wanting to talk to anyone right now. He was completely furious. He just didn't get that god damned Slytherin! When Draco had brought up the topic of Hogsmeade, Harry had taken it as a hint, gathered up his famous Gryffindor courage and asked him out on a date. 

And Draco had agreed. Had been really cute about it, too. And the way he'd smiled at Harry had gotten Harry's hopes up. But when he'd tried to take Draco's hand, the blond had pulled away yet again. It was getting increasingly frustrating.  
   
It probably had all been a trap, the Gryffindor decided suddenly. Draco was most likely back in the Slytherin common room by now, telling Pansy Parkinson and his other friends how he'd goaded Harry into asking him out and how Harry had been stupid enough to actually fall for it. He could imagine them having a good laugh at his expanse right now, which only made him angrier. 

How could he have been so stupid? It all made sense. Draco suddenly being nice and even acting civil towards Ron. All those little touches and shy smiles. Only to lure Harry into thinking he'd actually have a chance and laugh in his face later.  
   
***  
   
Once again Harry slept poorly, plagued by nightmares of Voldemort and awoke tired and grumpy. He managed not to take his bad mood out on his fellow Gryffindors this time, but he couldn't refrain from scowling at Draco. Especially when the Slytherin kept sneaking curious glances at him all through breakfast. Probably wondering if Harry had realized yet that he'd been made a fool of.   
   
DADA thankfully meant a mostly practical lesson this time and Harry made it through without getting himself into detention again. But he still lost Gryffindor ten points, which prompted a lecture from Hermione about reigning in his temper. Which of course did nothing for said temper. 

In Charms he managed to set his desk on fire, scaring poor professor Flitwick into giving him another lecture and suggesting a visit to Madam Pomfrey, about those fluctuations in his magic he was obviously experiencing. Harry gritted his teeth and managed to refrain from telling Flitwick where to stick his suggestion.  
   
Of course things only got worse in Transfiguration, where he had to sit next to Draco. The blond was still giving him those looks and even dared to put his hand on Harry's arm. The younger boy jerked away violently and put more distance between them. Draco huffed and turned away and Harry could feel his frustration through the bond. Great, maybe he'd stop messing with him now.  
   
The lesson dragged on endlessly and he barely heard a word McGonagall said. As soon as the bell rang for lunch break, he grabbed his things and stormed out. He only made it halfway down the corridor though, before he was roughly grabbed and pushed into an unused classroom. The door closed with a bang and he whirled around to face Draco. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"  
The blond stared at him in disbelief. "With me? What is wrong with you? You've been glaring at me all through breakfast and then the anger I felt from you distracted me during lessons. I couldn't concentrate."  
   
"Oh, so sorry it was affecting you." Harry spat.   
"What…. Are you mad at me?"  
Harry's harsh laugh actually made the Slytherin stumble a step back. "Noticed that, did you?"  
   
"But… I don't understand. I thought we were good. After last night…"   
Draco looked truly puzzled. A perfect actor, Harry had to give him that. He'd fallen for it. And suddenly he was just so fed up with everything. All his jumbled thoughts and feelings were suddenly too much.   
"Yeah, last night. You know what? I give up. You win."  
   
"What is that supposed to mean? You're making no bloody sense, Potter!"  
"Drop the act, Malfoy! I've had enough. You win. I fell for it. I actually thought you liked me back, as stupid as that is. There, I said it. Now go ahead, run to your friends and brag about it!"  
   
For a moment they simply stared at each other, the silence deafening after their shouting. Harry had a split second to wonder about the strange look on Draco's face. Then he suddenly found himself pressed back into the wall and Draco's lips were crashing against his. Without thinking he returned the almost vicious kiss, pulling the blond even tighter against him.  
   
They finally pulled apart, gasping for breath, staring at each other.   
Draco was the first to speak: "It was never an act."  
Harry's heart sped up at hearing those words. "Do you actually mean that? Because I never know where I stand with you. You get close only to pull away again. It's confusing the hell out of me."   
   
"Hey, you're not exactly easy to read either." the blond complained. "I never knew if you actually wanted me around or if you only tolerated me because of the bond. And I … I didn't want to get my hopes up."

"At first I wanted to blame it all on the bond. But… I think it only made me realize that I … fancy you." Harry admitted, blushing lightly and rushing on: "I mean we… we've been at each other's throats since first year and… maybe Sirius was right and there was always more to it than just…"  
   
"Animosity?" Draco suggested with a smile.  
Harry smiled back. "Yeah."  
"I guess there was."  
   
"So…" the Gryffindor muttered, clearing his throat. "That means we've still got a date tomorrow?"  
"Yes, we do. Harry." And if he'd known he could make Harry's eyes light up like that just by saying his name, he would have listened to Pansy and done it a lot sooner.   
"I can't wait. Draco."  
   
Their second kiss was a lot slower and gentler than the first and seemed to go on forever. When they pulled back they were both breathless. Harry grabbed Draco's hand and grinned when the blond interlaced their fingers.

"I guess we should head down to lunch. We've already missed half of it." Draco pointed out.  
"You're right."  
   
They made their way to the great hall hand in hand and only let go before they entered. Harry flopped down next to Ron and grabbed a plate. The red-head took one look at his grinning face and shook his head. 

"Your mood swings are starting to give me the creeps, mate."  
Harry chuckled. "Sorry. I promise to do better from now on."  
"And you think you can actually keep that promise?"

The dark-haired boy glanced over at the Slytherin table, where Draco was talking to Pansy. As if sensing Harry's eyes on him, the blond looked up and they shared a smile. Pansy poked Draco in the ribs and said something that made him blush and Harry's smile only got wider.  
"Yes, I believe I can."  
   
"So you've finally worked things out with Draco then?" Hermione joined the discussion.  
"Yes, we have."  
"Good. It was about time."  
   
Harry looked at her and raised an eyebrow. A gesture he had picked up from a certain blond Slytherin, although he'd never admit it.  
"Like you're one to talk."  
Hermione had the decency to blush. Then she shared a look with Ron and her blush deepened. Harry grinned. Finally things were going right.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you for all the lovely comments.

Harry and Draco's first date turned out really nice. They bought some sweets from Honeydukes, browsed through Tomes and Scrolls and then went to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer, after making a quick stop at Scrivenshaft's to get Draco a new quill. They talked and bickered and had a lot of fun. 

From there on things took a definite upturn. Study dates in the library soon started including Ron and Hermione, as well as Pansy and on the odd occasion even Crabbe and Goyle. Everyone got on surprisingly well. Though Harry preferred study dates in the room of requirement, which usually meant a lot of snogging.  
   
He and Draco spent even more time together and casual touches became a common occurrence. Draco would not allow Harry to kiss him in public places like the great hall, insisting that he'd been raised to have more class. Surprisingly enough, Hermione agreed with him on that. She and Ron could sometimes be seen snogging in a quiet corner, but they were never too obvious about it. Harry preferred it that way. It had been weird enough having to watch Ron with Lavender.  
   
Sirius kept gleefully reminding Harry that he'd told him so all along and dropping innuendos whenever they talked. He had also sent his godson a package containing lube and a list of sex spells, which had surprisingly enough made it through the screening of their daily mail and arrived during breakfast. Much to Harry's mortification. Narcissa had reacted surprisingly happy to their relationship and only made Harry promise to take good care of her little boy. Much to Draco's mortification.  
   
Despite a few minor fights (because some things would never change and some things they simply couldn't agree on) everything went surprisingly smooth. The only one who seemed unhappy about their relationship was Dumbledore. He had warned Harry not to trust the Slytherin with his secrets and ordered McGonagall to continue searching for a way to break the bond. He had also asked Harry to keep their secret meetings to himself and not discuss them with anyone but Ron and Hermione.  
   
Harry felt hurt by the old headmaster's distrust and for once chose to ignore his warning. Which turned out to be just the right thing to do. Because with the help of Draco, Narcissa, Sirius and Remus they managed to solve the mystery of the Horcruxes in no time. Finding and destroying them would be another matter, but at least they knew what they were dealing with and what they'd have to do to rid the world of Voldemort for good this time. Yes, things were definitely looking up.  
   
***  
   
Draco hummed happily to himself as he headed for the kitchens. He couldn't remember ever feeling this happy and content. Once they had gotten over their mutual distrust and uncertainty, he and Harry had quickly grown closer. They'd had a few lengthy talks and he now knew all about Harry's difficult childhood, growing up with Muggle relatives who hated him simply for existing, his joy about discovering that he was a wizard and how much he loathed all his fame. 

In turn Draco had told him about growing up at the manor and trying to fulfil his father's high expectations, about lazy days spent with his mother in her garden, when Lucius was away doing business and even about his hurt pride when Harry had refused his hand in first year.   
   
It felt nice, being able to talk about anything and share his life with someone like that, even if it was also a bit scary sometimes. They were only sixteen, after all and yet this already felt like forever. Pansy had started calling him love-struck and Draco couldn't help but wonder if he was. In love. With Harry Potter. 

Was this what love felt like? This happy feeling from just being close to the other boy. Missing him when they were apart, even if it was just for a few hours. Getting jealous when some girl tried to flirt with the Gryfffindor, even though Harry usually not even noticed the flirting. The worry he felt when he woke at night with a pounding heart, feeling a fear that wasn't his own and knowing that Harry'd had another nightmare.   
   
He'd borrowed the mirror from Harry and asked his mother about it. And she had only smiled that gentle smile of hers and told him that she was happy for him. So it must be. Love. Incredible. He hadn't thought he'd ever get to experience it. If Lucius had gotten his way, Draco would have found himself marrying a pureblood girl that his father had picked, so he could carry on the Malfoy name. But the bond had changed everything and Draco felt grateful for that. Because it had given him happiness. It had given him Harry.   
   
He only wished he knew who had sent them those books. He thought he would like to thank them. Even if this bond had turned his life upside down. At least it had done so in a good way. And it had only been three month so far. Three month to the day since the bond had been formed. 

Which was the reason he was heading to the kitchens right now, instead of using his free period to catch up on homework. It was a nice day outside and he wanted to surprise Harry with a picnic for their anniversary. Even if Blaise Zabini had called him a love-struck fool for his efforts.   
   
The elves were more than happy to provide him with sandwiches, assorted fruits, a flask of pumpkin juice, some chocolate cake and treacle tart (Harry's favourite). He put a thick blanket on top of the picnic basket and then went outside to wait for Harry, who was in Herbology right now.   
   
Finally the bell signalled lunch break and Draco moved aside as students started rushing up to the castle, some of them giving him curious looks. Harry walked over with Ron and Hermione in tow, looking surprised at seeing Draco there. 

"I thought we could have a little picnic." the blond explained, silently cursing his pale complexion. He just knew that he was blushing.   
   
Ron grinned and seemed about to open his mouth to mock Draco, but closed it with a snap when Hermione gushed: "That's so sweet, Draco." before turning to her boyfriend with an accusing look. "Why don't you ever do something like that for me?"  
"Oh, well I…"  
   
"I'm sure he'll come up with something remarkable for your three-month anniversary." Draco assured, shooting the red-head a smirk. Now Ron would have to come up with something in order to avoid his girlfriend's wrath. And judging by the glare the sent Draco's way, he knew it.  
"Of course he will." Harry agreed with a grin.  
Ron glared at them both and dragged Hermione off towards the castle.  
   
Harry and Draco went over to a group of trees, where the blond spread the blanket on the ground and they sat down to eat.   
"Three month already, huh?" Harry murmured after a while.  
"Yeah. Feels both shorter and longer somehow." Draco mused, cursing himself for how stupid that sounded. He was starting to pick up Harry's annoying habit of saying whatever came to mind, without properly thinking about it first.  
   
But Harry agreed with him. "I know what you mean. It's been an exciting three month."  
"Well, life is never dull with you around. That's for sure."  
"Are you complaining, Draco?"  
"Never, Harry."  
   
They grinned at each other and lapsed into a comfortable silence. After a while Harry grabbed Draco's left hand. He turned the palm up and gently traced the lines of the Celtic knot with his fingers. 

"Would it be stupid if I said I'm happy about the bond?" he whispered. "I mean… I know it was forced upon us. We had no choice. And we have no idea who did that or why. But… I guess I'm just happy with the way things turned out and I don't know if we'd ever gotten to know each other like this if it wouldn't have been for this bond."  
   
"I feel the same." Draco admitted.   
Harry looked at him with a shy smile. "Really?"  
"Yes. Even if we had no say in the matter, I think whoever did this actually did us a favour. Somehow it almost feels… fated, you know? That after years of fighting we should … end up here. With each other."  
   
Harry's smile became gentle then. Sort of breath-taking. And Draco swore he knew what the other boy was going to say even before he said it.  
"I think I'm in love with you."

The words still made his head spin. And for a moment he couldn't reply. Could only lean over and press his lips to Harry's.  
"I think I love you, too."  
   
For a second Harry's smile was pure happiness. But then it faded suddenly and the Gryffindor gasped in pain, clutching his head. Then he screamed. Draco watched helplessly as he fell back, his famous scar split open and a trickle of blood ran down his forehead.  
"Harry! Harry, what's wrong?"  
   
He bent over the younger boy, fighting against the waves of pain he could feel through the bond. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't only Harry's pain he was experiencing. His left arm felt like it was on fire. The dark mark hurt ten times worse than it had on the night he'd been branded by Voldemort. But even as his vision swam it wasn't his own pain he was concerned about. His last thought was: "Merlin, please let Harry be alright." before merciful blackness took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, another cliffhanger. Sorry, I just couldn't resist. And also sorry that I wrote so little about their first date. I know a lot of you were looking forward to that, but I just had no ideas. I hope the rest of the chapter makes up for it.
> 
> And now there's only one chapter left. You'll finally learn more about the bond and find out who caused it. Any guesses?


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here comes the last part. A big thank you for all your kind and encouraging words. I loved reading all of your comments. And there were some interesting guesses on who's behind the bond. You were all wrong, though. But a few of you already guessed why Harry's scar split open.  
> I really hope you like the end.

Draco awoke in the infirmary and took a moment to wonder how he'd gotten there. Then he remembered what had happened and shot bolt upright. "Harry!"  
"Draco?" came the weak reply from the bed on his left.  
The blond rolled out of bed and stumbled to Harry's bedside, breathing a sigh of relief at finding the other boy conscious. A bandage was wrapped around his head, but otherwise he seemed fine.  
   
"Are you okay?"  
"Yes, I think so. What happened?"  
   
"Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing out of bed?!"   
Madam Pomfrey's yell prevented Draco from answering. The matron came bustling over and shooed him back into bed with a stern glare. "You will stay lying down until I've given you permission to get up. Understood?"  
   
The blond pouted, but gave a quick nod.  
"What happened?" Harry asked again.  
"I don't know. You started screaming out of nowhere. Your scar bled and then… my arm hurt." Draco explained, knowing that Harry would get the meaning. "That's all I remember."  
   
"Miss Granger and Miss Parkinson found you unconscious." McGonagall let them know, startling both boys with her sudden appearance. "They had gotten worried when you didn't show up to your Potions lesson after lunch."  
   
"There is nothing wrong with you, as far as I can tell." Madam Pomfrey chimed in, after waving her wand over both of them. "It seems your bodies experienced some sort of shock and just like last time, they reacted by shutting down."  
   
"Last time?" Harry echoed.  
"Well, it appears that you have sealed the bond." McGonagall explained.  
"But… we didn't shag." the dark-haired boy blurted.   
"Harry!" Draco hissed, feeling his face heat.  
"Well, we didn't. And they said…"  
   
"Some bonds are sealed by consummating them, though not all. And this one is very unique. We told you that as well." McGonagall pointed out. She looked like she could barely stifle her laughter and Draco's mortification grew. At least she was getting some amusement out of this.   
   
"I'm keeping you overnight, just to be safe, but you should be free to go tomorrow morning." Pomfrey took over again. "Your friends are waiting outside. I'll allow them to visit for a few minutes. But after that I expect you both to rest. Or else I'll have to give you a sleeping draught."

Her warning delivered she went to fetch Hermione, Pansy, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle, who crowded around the beds with varying expressions of relief.  
   
"You had us so worried." Hermione was the first to speak up.  
"Well, sorry. We didn't do it on purpose." Draco grumbled.   
"What happened this time?" Pansy wanted to know.  
   
"It seems that we sealed the bond." the blond said.  
"But we didn't shag!"  
"Why do you feel the need to tell everyone?"  
Harry shrugged. "Just saying."  
The others chuckled. All except Ron, who looked slightly sick.  
   
"Can I see the bond mark?" Hermione asked Harry.  
He held out his hand and gasped in surprise when he looked at it. Draco stared at his own in equal surprise. The Celtic knot was no longer light and faded. It had taken on a vibrant, dark blue colour that stood out against his pale skin.   
"It's beautiful." Pansy gushed.  
   
"That's quite enough now. The patients need rest." Pomfrey intervened sternly.   
The two Gryffindors and three Slytherins said their goodbyes and left. Under the glare of the matron Harry and Draco settled down in their beds again. But once she had left, Harry pulled out his wand and cast a silencing charm.

"Are you okay with this?" he asked quietly.  
"Yes, I am. I … I meant what I said today." Draco said just as quietly.   
"Good. Me too."  
   
***  
   
They were discharged early next morning and allowed to join the others in the Great Hall for breakfast. When they made to leave however, they were intercepted by professor McGonagall.

"It seems that professor Snape has finally found the bonding spell that was used on you." she let them know. "With the help of Remus Lupin, from what I've gathered. If you would like to visit him in his office after lessons today, he will tell you what he's found out about the bond."   
They thanked her and promised to do just that.  
   
Lessons dragged on that day and both boys again found a lot of curious looks directed their way.  
"Word got around fast. You know how quickly rumours spread in Hogwarts." Pansy said with a shrug.

"The most ridiculous rumours, too." Hermione added. "I overheard Michael Corner telling someone that you tried to kill each other."  
"Quite the opposite, actually." Draco muttered and shared a secret smile with Harry.  
   
When the bell had rang after their final lesson that day (Transfiguration with a stern McGonagall, who scolded them for not paying proper attention), they headed down to the dungeons, where Snape's office was located.

"What if they found out how to break it?" Harry reluctantly voiced his fear.  
"We sealed it. I don't think it can be broken." Draco murmured, glancing at him. "And even if it could, they couldn't force us to break it."  
   
Harry stopped. "I … I don't want to break it."  
"Good, because I don't either." the blond admitted with a smile. "And now come on. We shouldn't keep Snape waiting."

The younger boy nodded, smiling a little in relief.  
"You're right. But I think it's better if you do the talking. You know he hates me." he decided.  
"He asked both of us to visit him." Draco reminded him. "But alright, I'll talk."  
   
The blond knocked on the door and waited for permission, before entering, closely followed by Harry. Snape was standing in front of his desk, arms crossed, obviously already waiting for them.

"Professor McGonagall said you can tell us more about the bond now, sir?" Draco inquired.   
"Indeed, Mr. Malfoy. I am sure you have many questions. And I will try to answer them. But first I believe there is something you should see."  
   
He stepped aside and they noticed a pensieve on his desk. Snape was holding a flask that contained what appeared to be silvery vapour. "I don't much like doing this, I must admit. But to fully understand, you need to know everything. I only ask you to watch and try not to judge too harshly." That said he poured the silvery substance into the pensieve.  
   
Harry and Draco looked at each other, a little uncertain.   
"Together?" Harry suggested.   
Draco nodded and grabbed his hand. After a last look at Snape, who seemed tense for some reason, they plunged into the memories.  
   
 _They found themselves in a Muggle playground. Snape, who couldn't be older than 9 or 10 in this memory and looked ridiculous in his mismatched clothes and too-large coat, was hiding behind some bushes. He was watching two girls playing on the swings._

Harry gasped in surprise when he recognized them. "That's my mum. And… aunt Petunia."

_After a while Snape approached the girls and told Lily that she was a witch. She got offended and ran away with her sister._   
  
_The scene dissolved and others followed in quick succession. Snape and Lily meeting again, becoming friends, talking about Hogwarts, getting into an argument with James and Sirius on the Hogwarts express and finally being sorted._

_But it didn't stop there. Despite being in different houses, they remained friends for years. Until Snape started hanging out with death eaters and finally did something unforgivable - he called Lily Mudblood._  
   
"They were friends. I never knew." Harry whispered.  
   
 _The next scene showed an older Snape meeting Dumbledore, telling him that Voldemort knew about the Potter's hiding place and begging him to save Lily._

"He betrayed the dark lord to save your mother." Draco gasped.  
"But he didn't succeed." Harry murmured.  
  
 _The next scene showed Dumbledore's office, where a wrecked Snape was mourning Lily's death._   
Draco squeezed Harry's hand, trying to offer comfort.   
_Dumbledore used Snape's grief and guilt to recruit him as a spy for the Order._  
  
 _The following few scenes were a lot later and mostly showed Snape complaining about Harry, comparing him to his father and finally examining Dumbledore's blackened hand. He was waving his wand and muttering incantations, while making Dumbledore swallow a potion. On the desk in front of them lay the ring that had housed the Horcrux._

_"Why put on that ring? Why even touch it?" the potions master demanded to know._   
_Dumbledore grimaced. "I was a fool." he admitted._   
_"It is a miracle you managed to return here." Snape sounded furious. "That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power. To contain it is all we can hope for."_

_Dumbledore examined his blackened hand with detached curiosity. "How long do you think I have, Severus?" he asked almost conversationally._  
 _Snape hesitated. "I cannot tell. Maybe a year. There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread eventually."_  
  
 _Dumbledore smiled, seeming not at all bothered by the fact that he had less than a year to live. "Well, that makes matters much more straightforward." he mused. When Snape looked perplexed he went on: "I refer to Voldemort's plan to have the poor Malfoy boy murder me. Of course he doesn't expect the boy to succeed. This is merely intended as torture for Draco's parents, while they watch him fail and pay the price."_  
   
Draco gave Harry a shocked look. "He really knew. All this time he knew that I was ordered to kill him." Harry could only nod. Both of them gasped in shock as the scene went on.  
   
 _"I must ask another favour of you, Severus. You must kill me."_  
 _Snape gave a scathing retort, but the old headmaster regarded him calmly._  
 _"Death is coming for me as surely as the Chudley Cannons will finish bottom of this year's league. I confess, I would prefer a quick, painless exit."_  
  
 _Again the scene dissolved and was quickly replaced by the next one. This time Snape was sitting in a dimly lit room, across from a familiar blond woman._

"Mother!" Draco gasped in surprise.

 _"We both know that he only gave Draco this task to punish Lucius. He expects Draco to fail. I don't care what happens to Lucius and me. I suppose we brought this onto ourselves with the choices we made. But Draco is innocent. Please, Severus. You have to help me. Help me save my son."_  
 _Snape took her hand and gave a curt nod. "I will do whatever I can to protect Draco. You have my word, Narcissa."_  
  
Harry squeezed Draco's hand and they waited for the next scene.  
   
 _It showed Snape and Dumbledore in the headmaster's office again. Snape sat still, while Dumbledore walked around him, talking._

 _"Harry must not know. Not until the last moment, until it is necessary. Otherwise how could he have the strength to do what must be done? No, he must not know until the time is right. Listen closely now, Severus, for this is very important. There will come a time when Voldemort will fear for the life of his snake."_  
  
 _"For Nagini?" Snape looked astonished._  
 _"Precisely. And when that time comes, it will be safe to tell Harry."_  
 _"Tell him what?"_  
   
 _"On the night Voldemort tried to kill him, when the killing curse rebounded, a fragment of Voldemort's soul was blasted apart from the whole and latched itself onto Harry. Part of Voldemort lives inside Harry, forming this connection he has never fully understood. And while that fragment remains attached to Harry, Voldemort cannot die."_

 _"So the boy… the boy must die?" Snape asked._  
 _"And Voldemort himself must do it."_  
   
Harry felt like his insides had turned to ice. Distantly he heard Draco whispering: "No! Merlin, please no." The blond pulled him closer, like he wanted to shield him from the truth of what they'd just witnessed and Harry wrapped an arm around him. Numbly he continued to watch the scene unfold.   
   
 _A long silence followed Dumbledore's words. Snape's voice sounded tired, when he finally spoke again._  
 _"I thought.. all these years … that we were protecting him for her. For Lily."_  
 _"We have protected him, because it has been essential to teach him. I have planned everything very carefully, Severus. When he does set out to meet his death, it will truly mean the end of Voldemort."_  
  
 _"You have kept him alive so he can die at the right moment?" Snape sounded disgusted._  
 _"Don't be shocked, Severus." Dumbledore chided lightly. "Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good."_

 _Snape sprang to his feet. "You have used me! I have spied for you, lied for you, put myself in mortal danger. All to keep Lily's son safe. And now you tell me you've been raising him like a pig for the slaughter!"_  
  
 _Dumbledore seemed amused by his outburst. "How touching, Severus. Have you come to care for the boy after all?"_  
 _Instead of answering, Snape conjured a Patronus. It was a doe, just like that of Harry's mother._  
 _"After all this time?" Dumbledore asked._  
 _"Always."_  
   
And in that moment Harry understood just how much Snape had loved his mother. How much her death had broken him. And he realized that it must pain Snape every time he looked at him. Because Harry may look like his father, but he had his mother's eyes.   
   
 _The scene changed again. Now Snape was flipping through old books, muttering distractedly under his breath until he obviously encountered what he was looking for. Then he bought two very familiar looking, leather-bound books…_

"Draco, is that…?"  
"It was him."  
   
The ground lurched beneath them and suddenly they found themselves sitting on the floor of Snape's office. The potions master was looking at them warily.   
"I believe you must have a lot of questions." he guessed, once they had gotten to their feet.  
   
"Harry… Harry has to.. die?" Draco whispered brokenly.  
"No, he doesn't have to die." Snape assured.  
"But…" Harry started to argue, only to be interrupted by his professor.  
   
"My only reason for binding you to each other was to save you. Both of you. That's why I chose this spell. I had heard about it in my youth. Lily and Lupin had found it in an old book in the restricted section."

A pained look crossed his features at the mention of Harry's mother, but he went on regardless. "Bond enaid sanctaidd - that is welsh and means sacred soul bond. The purest of all bonds, it is formed through love. Therefore it is stronger than any other form of magic. Which is also the reason why you both reacted so violently. The bond was fighting the hold Voldemort had over both of you. By acknowledging your feelings for each other and sealing the bond you rid yourselves of him."  
   
Both boys looked at him agape.  
"Wait, does.. does that mean I'm..."  
"The piece of Voldemort's soul that has been living within you has been destroyed. You are no longer a Horcrux." Snape confirmed, before turning to Draco: "And you are no longer a death eater. Your allegiance has been broken."  
   
The blond blinked in shock. With trembling fingers he pulled back the sleeve of his left arm and stared at the unblemished skin, completely speechless. Harry reached out and traced the spot where the dark mark had been. The skin looked a little red and tender, but otherwise completely normal.  
"It's gone." he stated unnecessarily.

Draco nodded, a smile slowly spreading over his lips. Without warning he pulled Harry into his arms and kissed him. The younger boy returned the kiss, feeling Draco's happiness washing over him, mirroring his own feelings.  
   
Almost as an afterthought he realized that Snape was still standing there and pulled back sheepishly to look at their professor. His relationship with the man had always been a complicated one and he didn't think that would ever change. But knowing what he did now, he felt a new sense of empathy and respect for Snape. Even if the man was looking rather disgusted right now.  
   
"Thank you."  
Snape regarded him with raised eyebrows. "You thank me? That is all? I must say, I was expecting a lot more shouting and possibly one of your rambling monologues about interfering in your life."  
   
Harry rolled his eyes. Yes, they'd never be friends, that much was for sure. Snape was just too infuriating.   
"Why should I be mad at you? You saved my life. You freed Draco from Voldemort's clutches. And you gave me this." he indicated his and Draco's joined hands.   
"Just be glad he's grateful for once." the blond chimed in with a smile. "As am I. We owe you a lot."  
   
"How did you know it would work?" Harry asked suddenly. "With our history and the bond needing love..."

Snape snorted. "Anyone with eyes could have guessed that your childish antics were really a way to hide your true feelings for each other. I believe I'm not the only one who was getting fed up with it, so this was actually killing two birds with one stone."  
Harry shrugged sheepishly. He couldn't really argue with that.  
   
"Can you tell us more about the bond?" Draco took over again.

"You already know most about it." Snape claimed, but complied with a long suffering sigh. "Now that it has been sealed, it cannot be broken. Your souls will forever be entwined. Once it has fully settled you'll be able to part for longer amounts of time. You will be able to feel what the other is feeling and draw strength from each other. It might also boost your magic. That is it, essentially. If you have any further questions, I'm sure your annoying friend Miss Granger will be more than happy to do some research. Or you can ask Lupin."  
   
Which prompted another question from Harry. "Wait, if Remus knows so much about this bond, how come he didn't recognize it? I know he's been helping McGonagall with the research."

Now Snape looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. But he answered with surprising patience. "He did recognize it. Pretty early on, I must admit. He came to me to talk about it, since he knew that Lily had shown me the spell. I had no choice but to tell him the truth."  
   
"Does that mean he knew? All this time?"  
Snape merely nodded.   
"What about Sirius?"

"I believe your godfather was kept in the dark. Lupin felt it would be prudent, considering his temper and knack for rash actions."  
"Shit. He's not going to like that. Especially since Remus was in on it with you." Harry muttered.   
"That is none of my concern. Any other questions or are we done now?"  
   
The two boys looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. It was Harry however, who dared to voice the thought. So much for letting Draco talk.  
"What about Dumbledore?"

"You mean if he was aware of my actions?" Snape asked.  
"No, I can already guess that he wasn't." Harry had to admit. The old headmaster's betrayal hurt, but he refused to think about that right now. "I meant his hand. The curse... and... he asked you to kill him."  
   
For a long moment Snape only stared at him. Finally he said: "And I refused, though he keeps trying to persuade me."  
Harry felt relieved to hear that. In his opinion Dumbledore was incredibly selfish to ask that of Snape.

"But he will die?" Draco chimed in again.  
"Yes, he will die. Probably before the term ends. The curse has started to spread already."  
   
Harry wasn't sure how to feel about this. He had always looked up to Dumbledore. He'd adored the man, defended him and been secretly proud of the special relationship they had. And now he had to learn that this relationship was only born from necessity. That Dumbledore probably had no affection for him whatsoever. Harry had only been a pawn in the war against Voldemort. And now he couldn't even go up to the headmaster's office and tell him how disappointed he was, because you just didn't yell at people who were dying, right?  
   
"If that is all then..." Snape's voice shook him from his musings.  
"Yeah, we'll be going then." Draco decided. "Thank you again."

He grabbed Harry's hand and pulled the younger boy along. Following an impulse, he took them outside to the spot where they'd had their picnic the day before. Harry followed him silently.  
   
"Are you okay?"  
The Gryffindor shrugged. "It hurts, you know? I always looked up to him and he.. he only ever saw me as a sacrifice. You heard what he told Snape. I wasn't to know until the last moment. So I could do what had to be done. He wanted me to destroy all the other Horcruxes and then what? Walk calmly up to Voldemort and let him kill me?"  
   
Draco pulled him into his arms and Harry leaned against him.   
"I trusted him." he mumbled into the blond's shoulder.  
"You trust too easily." the Slytherin muttered. His only answer was a snort.  
   
"There will always be people who disappoint you. Especially those who are close to you." Draco mused quietly, thinking of his father. "You can't prevent that. But everyone who dares to hurt you from now on has to answer to me."

The fiercely protective tone made Harry smile. He pulled back slightly to look at the blond.  
"I love you."  
Draco smiled back. "I love you, too."  
   
And in that moment Harry didn't care about Dumbledore, or Voldemort, or Horcruxes. The only thing that mattered was the blond boy in his arms and the love he could feel radiating off him. He had Draco and thanks to Snape they even had a future together. Everything else would work out fine. He was suddenly sure of it.  
   
"Come on, let's go back inside. Hermione will be dying to know more about the bond."  
"Pansy, too. And I have to tell mother that it made the dark mark disappear. And I guess you'll want to talk to your godfather and …"

Harry just grinned and dragged Draco inside, while the blond kept rambling. Yes, everything would work out just fine.  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. What do you think? Too much of an open end? Or was it okay?  
> I actually thought about continuing it (mostly because I wanted to write about Dumbledore committing suicide by jumping off the Astronomy Tower - Sorry, never really liked him much), but then I decided to stick to the end I had originally planned.


End file.
